Monkeys Figure Out How To Play Crane Games At Japanese Zoo

Some arcade enthusiasts also told us that claw machines with big-ticket items, like iPhones or Nintendo Switches, are usually much harder to win. “The characteristics of claw machines differ from brand to brand, arcade to arcade. And even within the same arcade, there can be similar looking machines with different settings,” said Claw Coach. Rey Chua, an events manager at a Singapore-based claw machine rental company, told VICE that while there are different types of claw machines, they all pretty much work the same way. “Whereby the claw only tightly part of the time and not all the time,” he said.

What followed was 20 failed attempts at pushing the cursed toy into the chute, losing my temper at the adorable money trap, and spending way more than I had intended. One of the potentiometers controls the claw strength as the claw retracts upwards to the carriage ; the other controls the claw strength while it is traveling, with or without the prize, to the chute. “That is the dark truth about claw machines,” quipped Umehara, who also calls himself the Arcade Ninja. The claw has three fingers if it is a traditional design or two fingers if it is the Asian-style "UFO" machines.

This is the actual component the claw is suspended from, and it contains the motors for sideways movement, alongside the motor and pulleys for the movement of the claw on the Y-axis. Some Japanese peeps absolutely murder UFO catchers and have whole YouTube accounts dedicated to prize-catching whoop ass with tips and tricks. If you can’t be bothered to Google, try watching other players for a few minutes. Study their techniques and failures, or do what I do and swoop in and steal their half-won prize while they run off to get change. “Resetto” is most important word for the UFO catcher enthusiast. If you need a mulligan, or it looks like a prize is a lost cause, ask the staff to reset it.

The main cabinets for claw machines are typically constructed of medium-density fiberboard, with wooden or metal inner support structures. Some more modern cabinets are made of aluminum alloy, which makes it easier to relocate as well as cheaper to produce. A lot of very high-end claw machines have full LED lighting on the front, behind a partially-transparent plastic panel, first popularised by Elaut of Belgium on their IntraXion E-Claw cranes.

By the 1980s, crane machines had become much larger, with plush dolls the major prizes, and cranes common at carnivals and arcades. A boom in crane games occurred with the release of Sega's UFO Catcher in 1985, and since then the term "UFO catcher" has become synonymous with crane games in Japan. It stood out for its eagle claw shape, hence the name "UFO" catcher, along with its kawaii family-friendly design, helping to make them more marketable to casual audiences.

The machine owner can also decide on their “profit rate,” which in turn determines the frequency of the claw grabbing prizes at full strength, allowing players to win easily. In Japan, modern trolley-style claw machines began being manufactured by Sega and Taito in the 1960s. Sega released its first modern electro-mechanical arcade crane game, Skill Diga, in 1965, and followed it with Super Skill Diga , which included dolls as prizes. By the 1970s, Sega and Taito machines had drawn the attention of plush toy vendors, with the machines used to display and deploy stuffed アンパンマン クレーンゲーム animals, evolving into modern claw machines. Many also love the thrill of knowing that the toy of their choice could fall into their hands with one skillful move.

Given those factors, you should usually win a prize within 20 to 30 attempts, based on the randomization of the machine and what state’s regulations the machine falls under. Using a command module setting , the operator can manipulate how many pounds per square inch of pressure the claw will exert when grabbing a toy. A crane game filled with raisins was left in the monkey pen at Japanese zoo Nagasaki Bio Park, to see if the animals could figure out how to use the redemption game to get snacks. He added that it’s also important to observe when other people are playing.

Claw Coach talked about the handy “double-tap” technique that most people don’t know about. After tapping the button once to drop the claw, try tapping the button a second time when it is right above the prize. This would allow the claw to move into the “ideal position” to grab the prize.

This is because these machines have claws with strengths that are fixed with a screw by opening the machine. In the case of such an older machine, skill can make quite a difference. The monkeys in the experiment are tufted capuchins, which are an especially intelligent species often used for movie work. Still, the Bio Park staff wasn’t sure if their monkeys would be able to win those delicious raisins.