The Next Web
Date: June 9, 2018
By: Georgina Ustik

Taipei is game-crazy. From pinball machines to toy dispensers, the gray city blocks are sprinkled with the neon glow of mini arcades, with enticing names such as “Happy Moments” and “Sweet Box” ( ). But no game is more common than the claw machine.

Claw machine games are, of course, not exclusive to Taipei. There are plenty in the United States, as well as the rest of the world, but they’re largely restricted to arcades, dark corners of malls, or big restaurants where parents take their children when they’re sick of them.

But in Taipei, claw machines are undergoing a huge surge in popularity. Not only was I surprised to see so many — it seems like they’re on almost every other block — but I was also surprised that most of the occupants are teens or adults, not sticky, screaming children like in the states.

Light bulbs… weird pillows… vibrators, oh my!
These claw machines are known by a few different names. 抓物機/抓物机 (Zhuā wù jī) which directly translates into “grab stuff machine” as well as 釣物機/钓物机 (Diào wù jī) or “fish for stuff machine.” A few people playing them told us they were also referred to as “selection machines.”     [FULL  STORY]