The Claw Games... (Part 1)

So in Korea, claw games are very popular. You know the ones I'm talking about - those game machines you see in movie theaters and places like Dave and Busters - the yellow ones with the claws. It doesn't matter what neighborhood you're in - there are claw games. It's not a question of whether there will be claw games on an outside street corner... the question is HOW MANY street corners will have them? Within a ten minute walking radius... in my neighborhood we've found 4 - but we haven't looked everywhere.



The claw games are actually pretty fun. (speaking in USD) You pay 20 cents for 1 try, or 50 cents for 3 trys. So it's normal just to stick in a dollar and you get 6 pulls. That's the official lingo - "hey, hey, lemme get a pull..." - Generally speaking there are 3 types of claw machines here.

1) light weight: candy machines. They're usually pink and the claw is smaller. You reach in and try to grab candy and put it on a platform where a moving block pushes it in the WIN pit if you get enough candy on it.

2) Middle weight: butane lighters with all sorts of designs on them, gold or silver watches (probably priced in the $10 range in the USA), and random other items in that category.

3) Heavy weight: Items that are probably $50 - $100 price range. MP3 players, mini heaters, mini tvs, dvd players, GPS car navigators... - these machines are such a waste of money. Mike and I know first hand. It's virtually impossible to win these! It's NOT impossible... but you're looking at spending a minimum of half the cost of the item - and that's only if you're successful! There's always a great chance you won't ever get it.

I don't want you to be confused though. There's a reason these claw games are everywhere. People PLAY them. When people leave bars drunk - they love to try a few pulls on the claw games. When little girls get out of school... you can see them trying a few pulls for candy. In the morning... you can spot a business man in a suit and tie, one hand holding a coffee and the other hand playing a claw game. It's popular here. Yellow trucks drive around to the different claw game locations and switch up the prizes and move things around probably ever 3 days, maybe once a week.

I say... if you started this claw game business in the USA... you'd make some money. :)