No Man!

不是吧！

It may seem like the machine isn't even trying.

看起來機器根本不為所動。

- And well... - It is not your imagination, those claw machines are rigged!

- 而事實上⋯ - 你想得沒錯，夾娃娃機暗藏玄機！

There are a couple of beloved stuffed animals that I have that are from a claw machine, a koala and a bear.

我有好幾隻可愛的動物填充玩偶就是從夾娃娃機夾來的，包括一隻無尾熊跟熊。

That is Vox.com writer, Phil Edwards.

這位是 Vox 網站的作家 Phil Edwards。

I looked at the instruction guides for a few of the biggest claw games out there.

我查過幾個大型夾娃娃機的操作指南。

Take for example, the manual for Black Tie Toys advanced crane machine.

以 Black Tie Toys 進階夾娃娃機的使用手冊為例。

If you look at page 8, section subheading "Claw Strength", you would see a horrifying piece of information.

如果你看到第八頁，標題為「爪子強度」的章節，你會發現慘烈的事實。

"Managing profit is made easy."

「利潤管理十分容易。」

Simply input the coin value, the average value of the merchandise, and the profit level.

只要考量投幣價值、商品的平均總價及獲利水平，

The machine will automatically calculate when to send full strength to the claw.

機器便會自動計算，評估何時要給予爪子最高強度。

Alright, so if it cost 50 cents to play the game, and the prize inside cost 7 dollars.

這樣說吧，如果玩一次遊戲要花 50 分美元，而夾娃娃機裡的獎品價值 7 美元，

To make a profit of 50%, full power will be sent to the claw only about once every 21 games or so.

為了達到 50% 的利潤，爪子在 21 次左右的遊戲中僅有一次達到最大強度。

That sucks. They also randomize that winning game within a range so that players can't predict when exactly it will happen.

那真是爛透了！他們同時也在一個範圍中隨機化了取勝時機，讓玩家不能準確預測什麼時候爪子的強度會最強。

And you might notice a subheading that says "dropping skill".

你可能也會注意到一個寫著「下降技巧」的標題。

They can program the machine to make you think you almost won.

他們可以設定機器，讓你以為自己幾乎要得手了。

They taunt you with it. You see the stuffed animal flying in the air, and then it drops it. And that just ruins everything.

他們用這樣的方法玩弄你，你看著動物填充玩偶攀升到空中，然後再掉下來，而一切就都毀了。

So, most of the time claw machines are actually more like slot machines, than like skeeball or whac-a-mole.

所以說，大部分時間夾娃娃機就像是老虎機，而不像滾球遊戲機，或者打地鼠。

- Who's in charge here! -The claw!

- 這裡誰是老大！- 爪子！

The question of whether claw machines are a game of skill or chance goes back decades.

夾娃娃機究竟是靠技巧還是機運，這個問題可以追溯回幾十年前。

The earlier versions back in the 1930s had very little element of skill and were marketed as being highly profitable for their owners.

早在 1930 年代的機台並沒有什麼技巧可言，而且被物主視為高利潤的商品。

This was the depression era and people were desperate for ways to get money moving.

那是個經濟蕭條的世代，而人們亟欲找出大賺一筆的方法。

During a crackdown on organized crime in the 1950s federal law classified claw machines as gambling devices and prohibited the transportation of them across state lines.

在 1950 年代打擊犯罪集團之下，聯邦法律將夾娃娃機歸類為賭博設施，並明文規定禁止機器在美國境內跨州運送夾娃娃機。

After those laws were relaxed in the 1970s, newer claw machines from Europe and Asia spread throughout the United States.

直到 1970 年代法律放寬，新的夾娃娃機才從歐洲及亞洲傳播至美國。

They actually started calling them "skill cranes" because the joystick gave players more precise control.

事實上，他們開始稱之為 「skill cranes（夾娃娃機）」是因為玩家能更準確的控制操縱桿。

But owners had increasing control over profits as well.

但物主對利潤的掌控也更加提升了。

And they've been met with a patchwork of state and local laws and regulations.

而他們也受到國家及當地法律規章的規範。

If machine operators want to make that claw really really unfair against the players, there's not a lot stopping them.

如果操控機器的人要將爪子設定的對於玩家極度不公平，沒有什麼可以阻止他們。

Most of the regulations focus on the prize size, not the strength of the claw.

大部份的規範都在於獎品的尺寸，而不是爪子的強度。

That's a reason that you might see fewer of the "win a free iPad" claw machines or "free iPhone" claw machines around.

這正是為什麼你很少看到寫著「贏得一台全新 iPad」或者「贏得一台嶄新 iPhone」的夾娃娃機，

And more of just old fashioned stuffed animals.

大部分都只是一些老派的填充玩偶。

It's great if players know what they are up against.

讓玩家知道自己對抗的是什麼是很棒的。

Especially since sites like Youtube have enabled claw machine enthusiast to broadcast their victories. Like this guy.

尤其是像 YouTube 這樣的網站讓夾娃娃機狂熱者可以傳播他們的戰績，就像這個人：

I'm Matt Magnone. Join me as I venture out and win as much crap as I can from claw machines!

我是 Matt Magnone，加入我，像我一樣到處挑戰夾娃娃機，贏得許多戰果吧！

My best outcome of this is not that all the claw machines go away.

我寫文章的用意不是希望所有夾娃娃機都消失。

Since I first wrote this article, I've spent a dollar I think on claw machines... and I've lost.

自從我寫了這篇文章，我也花了一些錢在夾娃娃機上⋯ 而我也有輸。

All I want for people to know is that they are not the problem. The claw machine is the problem.

我只是想要讓人們知道不是自己技術不好，而是機器的問題。

Ah, you piece of crap!

喔，你這爛東西！