Toy Crane Machine
From Free net encyclopedia
A Toy Crane Machine is a popular game machine seen regularly in United States supermarkets, restaurants, sports venues and various other places. Players must insert money in hopes of retrieving a prize (or, on rare occasion, multiple prizes).
Description
The machine consists of a platform, sometimes tiered, on which stuffed animals, jewelry, or similar prizes are arranged. A chute is placed in one corner of the platform, where prizes won by a player can be removed from the machine. A crane, sometimes called the "claw", lies above the prizes and can be moved around and dropped by a joystick and/or buttons on the front of the machine. The entire machine is encased in glass to prevent people from stealing prizes without first playing.
After a player inserts money, he/she has fifteen to thirty seconds to position the claw over a desired prize, drop the claw, and (hopefully) grab the prize. Some machines allow the user to move the claw after it has been partially dropped.
The success rate for each player depends largely on his/her skill, although operators of the machine can tweak the claw or other settings, or change the prizes, to make it less or more difficult. Roy Kaylor of Pleasanton, Calif., claims to have won over 300 toys by playing only after the machine has been filled, and always going for the highest toy.
History
These machines became popular in 1987, with large presence at Pizza Hut restaurants. Later on, they'd be seen at movie theaters and other places. By the early 1990s, the NFL began to advertise their teams with stuffed footballs of each team placed on some of the machines. Soon after, the MLB, NBA and NHL also joined, although the NBA no longer uses these machines as a means of advertisement.
By the middle 1990s, the machine's popularity had made such establishments as Safeway's, Fry's Supermarkets, K-Mart, Walmart and others make them a staple of their locations. Some hotels also acquired them to satisfy their younger guests, as did sports venues that would stuff them with collectibles related to their home teams.