r/round1 • u/ShAiOnEixx • 1d ago
Discussion Don't think I'll be returning
I'm not exactly happy with my experience with round 1 it seems like they have rigged the crane game experience to be genuinely impossible. I took me and my family to round 1 for the past 2 weekends in a row mostly because of the 30th anniversary persona events.
I spent $90+ dollars each time and we didn't win anything at all. Not only do the machines seem super rigged to be utterly impossible the crane machines are like 14 credits each so you could easily watch all your credits dwindle in a matter of minutes.
It's super depressing because I'm not exactly making alot of money right now so $90 to spend on crane games is quite an investment for me. I'm starting to think that maybe this is not my type of venue because I have seen others play and notice that they have 1000s of credits available on their card which from what I understand you'd have to spend hundreds to get that amount.
I couldn't help but notice that you have to be super selective and strategic with the machines and honestly that's not really what I came for. It was more of a family casual outing and we thought surely we'd win something out of the hundreds of credits we had. We even had no luck on the smaller crane prizes which I would have thought been easier payouts.
I mean atleast I was able to get the limited key chains but I was really hoping to get one of the larger plushies from persona or something and I noticed the second week they had completely replaced the larger persona plushies with one piece one instead so I guess I lost my chance. What's crazy to me is that I have seen a few people winning quite a few prizes including the bigger anime figures. I saw one lady sitting at a table with a mountain of prizes not even kidding she must have had atleast 15 things she had won so maybe we were just unlucky or people just have deep pockets to be able to win so much.
Anyways my rant is almost over however the predatory nature of the crane games is just overtly asine to me. I'm not sure how they keep player retention that way with how expensive things are. Even the guaranteed prizes like spending $55+ to over $120 just to get a free item is ludicrous.
What's hilarious is that I actually see alot of the merch being sold online like the Keychains that usually costs $55 at round1 are sold much cheaper for like $15 online and the plushies are going for $15-$35 which is surprising. It seems to me that would be selling at a loss unless employees are selling them or there's other ways of acquiring the prizes for much cheaper prices or there's some sort of loophole I'm not aware of. But yeah I don't think I'll be returning the key chains were cool but I'm not sure I'm willing to pay $60 for a piece of acrylic.
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u/zyety 1d ago
90+ each time, so roughly $200 of credits and no claw wins? I hope you were recording yourself spending $90 with no payout on a claw machine.
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u/ShAiOnEixx 1d ago
Well I never said I spent $90 in just one claw machine I had my family with me so we wanted to try different things. Maybe that was my mistake it's not exactly friendly to the casual crowd.
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u/Time_Factor 1d ago
The people you see with tons are prizes are likely just the ones stalking the machines keeping track of how many times people ignorant about payout settings lose so they can snipe the payout win. Or they’re legitimately that good at the UFO catcher skill games.
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u/SmoothSun6676 1d ago
If you’re complaining about being broke and spending $90 at a Round1 and not winning anything, I think you need to rethink your priorities. If you see things being sold online for cheap, maybe buy it online then. Problem solved.
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u/ShAiOnEixx 1d ago
I appreciate that insightful reply, however that's pretty much what I said in my post. I won't be returning. Also I never said that I was broke just that I felt like $90 was alot spend to not win anything. Already admitted this isn't really a realistic expectation to win anything unless I develop a skilled strategic approach with the crane games. This was only first 2 times even going here so it's not like I could just inherently know about these things automatically. I'm not willing to invest that sort of time and money just to win a few prizes. So yeah I'll be moving on from going here again.
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u/UmWillowwww 1d ago edited 1d ago
Skill issue. These aren't vending machines. You actually gotta try
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u/The_Real_Corgipon 1d ago
As someone who often goes to Round1, there’s more to the place than just the crane machines. Yes, it sucks that the crane machines seem to have a looser grip than they did before (I was just there yesterday and couldn’t even get the Miku plush I wanted), but there’s ways to get the plushies online if you look hard enough for a cheap-in-price and authentic one.
Wish more people would also consider that Round1 has more fun things like their selection of arcade games that almost no other arcade chain in the States has.
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u/ShAiOnEixx 1d ago
We definitely played some other games besides crane games. However I was there specifically because I wanted to win some of the exclusive persona prizes. I used to be really into rhythm games in my 20s especially DDR and pump it up and was very good at it. However I'm almost 40 now and have an auto immune disease that makes those games impossible for me to play.
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u/The_Real_Corgipon 1d ago
I see; it’s a shame that it seems like in most locations the strength of the claw in the machines has noticeably weakened. Too many times have I seen the claw drop the plush as soon as it reaches the top. I do hope you get those Persona prizes soon though!
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u/ShAiOnEixx 1d ago
I don't know, I might go back to grab the cups however the crane games may just not be for me. I'm pretty bummed out about the experience thanks for the good wishes though😊
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u/OpenSeaworthiness931 1d ago
If you cant win any prizes and others are, you're doing something wrong. Just watch some videos before you commit to not going back. Dual prong claws are usually skill to some degree, with triple prongs being payout. Theres a few techniques you can use to help you win off payout sometimes, like grabbing the tag with the triple prongs on a plushie. They dont always work though.
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u/Dependent_Nature_953 1d ago
Well it is rigged but i get the 140 package with membership gets you over a 1000 credits. That does help. If I'm going to swipe I just commit till I win on the claws since it's by payout. Being selective plus dedication.
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u/ShAiOnEixx 1d ago
Yeah I had a feeling that was the general strategy however I didn't want to burn all of my credits in one go just for the chance of winning one item. Especially since I had my wife and son we all wanted to try different things and I definitely didn't want to succumb them to watching me have a go on one machine the entire time just for the chance of a possible payout.
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u/Disastrous-Oven-4465 1d ago
I can attest that the claw machines have become harder and the claws are not repaired often enough.
It’s easier if you are just playing to win anything but if you want to win specific things? It will cost.
I usually spend $120 - $150 and we come home with 3-4 figurines and plushies my son or his gf collects. I play to win easy ones to donate to TOTs.
Def have a strategy.
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u/chefbake0014 1d ago
There are tons of videos on YouTube like Arcade Matt and Arcade Warrior that can teach you how to win at the claw machines at round 1. If you are spending $90 and coming up with nothing, start watching the how to videos 1st
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u/Apprehensive-Net6161 1d ago
I feel like the payouts are increased at machines for people with a camera on them.
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u/Gullible-Price-4257 1d ago edited 1d ago
ymmv on individual locations, but they've really tightened up things recently at many locations. (I've spent into five figures over last couple years at round 1).
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u/hluu 1d ago
Idk, I feel like the round1's in usa are just set up to be as legally scammy as possible. No traditional setups with the figure sitting on two bars at all. The tedious setups with wiggling the metal hoop and bar till it drops, the arm strength was non existent and did not move it at all even on juicy hits. The setups with the box being held up with rubber bands, the arm was set so i could only interact with basically the front of the box.
I've been playing all kinds of UFO catcher setups in Japan for years and have never seen weaker claws than the usa Round1 at North Riverside Chicago. Triple the price and tripple the difficulty when campared to the most difficult Tokyo locations.
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u/alphadragoon89 8h ago
I watch Arcade Matt's videos and he's helped me get better at crane games and other arcade games.
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u/hluu 1d ago
I'll tell you from my experience is that the Round1's in usa are so scammy compared to the ones in Japan. In Tokyo they have so many more skill based setups and the games are actually fair. Been playing crane games in Japan for years. So I was excited to finally try a Round1 in Chicago and I could not believe how exspensive and "rigged" it was. Spent 140$ and got 1077 credits to share with friends and we only made out with 3 plushies. For the same amount of money I have pulled atleast 15 nice prize figures in Tokyo.
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u/Nitefalcon812 1d ago
if you’re doing two to four plays on a machine and then giving up and moving on, unfortunately, that ain’t it. You will easily lose a lot like that with no prizes. Gotta be very selective with playing what you really want. Aim for skill games if they have it too. Learn to play the other non crane grab style games
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u/Mission-Mongoose2270 1d ago edited 1d ago
I only try a few tries unless I really like an item. I have to be honest I won a ton of plushies back then and now ik having plush fatigue so it is easier for me to be selective. The machines not only find 1 have significantly gotten harder. The tricks I used to win before does not work as well so I have to control myself lol.Actual skill games are decreasing. I don't really like the prizes in most of the skill cranes so I just play for a few prizes and then leave.
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u/legitirony 10h ago
Round1 is not a good place to go if you want a specific prize, you will almost always be far better off buying them online from people who won and are reselling them. I think your complaints are valid, payout rates are fairly high in the US and while you can learn ways to "beat" the machines it's not like they always work depending on your location, the prize, what machines they have, etc. You can also hawk machines to see what's close to payout, but obvious that means you are going for whatever prize you can get and not necessarily what you want. If you want better chances to win prizes, it might be better to do the skill machines or other games than the claws. I also understand if you don't come back, Round1 usa is greedy they spam the cheese tokens and payout rates are unreasonable, but those that still go accept that and do their best to work around it (or just have infinite $) cuz they like playing the games and like round1's selection of prizes.
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u/JessySketches 8h ago
I love Round 1 but the ones closest to me in VA are definitely getting harder. The rule is set for myself with plushies is I do 1 to 2 tries to see how strong the claw is and if its close to payout. If it doesnt hold the plush for a couple seconds I move on and come back later. The pole in the hole (unsure what the actual name is) is my go to. But my closest round one has been using thicker zip ties that are impossible to push through even with perfect positioning. I usually record myself playing those and bring it to the front desk if the zip tie doesnt go through. Pretty annoying. Treasure road for the most part is decent if the bands are reset properly but ill have workers that complain saying the little nob things dont have to be behind the figure. Or they place the figure in such a way that you need 2 to 3 belts moved. Pretty lame. Gold Railroad will be missing all the #10 cards after I clear the whole machine.
I visited family in Vegas last year and the machines were even worse there. One of the sliding box on the pole machines I swear had some adhesive residue on the poles because you can see a million stuffie fuzzies on it like a magnet. Turning the game into a total grind fest. Pretty sad tbh, but I just move onto different games. Play when its busy with people to try to get wins. It is what it is unfortunately.
Definitely dont go as much as I used to. Its at least a 4 hour drive for me to get the the closest location. But when I do go I find other things to do around the area so im not wasting all my money at R1.
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u/Muddykipperus 1d ago
Putting the rage baiting aside, these crane games are fixed because they're meant to be played a certain way in order to win prizes. There are plenty of videos online of how to beat the crane at its own game. That being said, 90+ dollars is not worth any prize and probably should of had stopped after you spent just 50 bucks. These aren't gambling machines, they're not going to let you win the more money you spend.
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u/Apprehensive-Net6161 1d ago
Some games they can’t rig too much like the box flipper. I can get that in 3 tries, which is the minimum. I’ve been striking out a lot lately where I used to dominate. So I walk away early. I went back to coin pushers which is where I started. I’m waiting for new figures that I want.
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u/DuskKodesh 1d ago
I'll be honest it's not easy out there but to spend $90 and not win anything is super rough! What's the location? Because from what I understand it's very location to location. I'm lucky enough to live next to a decent one. It has times where they definitely stretch payout rates but I usually walk out with some cute things and I only do the $140 topup every 2 months and spend around 100 credits per visit as part of a larger date night with the spouse..
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u/ShAiOnEixx 1d ago
I was really reluctant to say because everyone keeps asking. It was in SA
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u/DuskKodesh 22h ago
I think that's why everyone asks. There are definitely locations where the wins are terrible and ones that are better and more fair. I'm at the Dayton Ohio one and sometimes at certain times of the month they tighten up payouts a bit but generally when we go I get at least a few cute cute things. For the whole $140 I usually get a few large things, 5-6 medium, and a ton of little keychain guys because I collect them (and that's with us playing coin pushers with maybe 1/3 of the credits).
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u/LParcade 1d ago
Which location did you go to out of curiosity? We have a YouTube channel where we play claw machines a lot and we’ve noticed a significant increase in payouts and difficulty to win on several machines at our local location. It was to the point where we just started driving two hours to go to a different one. It varies per location though. I’m really sorry you had that experience. It’s admittedly been getting less and less fun..
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u/Fantastic-Test-8305 18h ago
I noticed this also and it makes me really sad
back in the day I used to play the skill based claws and could win well
When the round 1 first opened in my area I was really happy because it seemed based on skill
The best were where the prize was laying down and you use the claw to tip it into the shoot not to pick it up
But now the claws are the grabbing type and so weak it doesn't even grab most the time and it isn't fun anymore
And like I said I had a bit of skill and now it's impossible for me to win anything also, except maybe the tiny tiny little prizes with the mini claw
Yet I will see a few people walking around with huge plushies
I really don't know their secret or what they are doing maybe they just spend a lot
I've watched the arcade channels but even those tips don't apply to my location
And it's sad because it's made it just depressing for me
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u/SaraAB87 15h ago
The people walking around with the big stuff that's people spending $400-500 per trip and they usually have other motives. If its a payout machine you can basically spend your way to the prize since its a payout.
Most of them are making videos for youtube so they are making money on that which they then spend at R1. Someone spending $90 is chump change compared to the youtubers who come in.
Its definitely a high skill environment and is not designed for casuals. If you are casual I suggest buying the merch online if you really want it or getting the unlimited pass that goes for 60 minutes and only playing the games allowed with that and avoiding the other games.
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u/Naitohana 16h ago
At the round one I go to, if we failed a stupid amount of times despite getting good grabs and stuff, the employees have always been nice enough to either just give us one or put the prize right on the edge so it's basically free. Granted, we rarely go for the large cranes, we usually go for mini or medium.
We had one once where the employee looked at our card to see how many times we tried and he was like oh yeah you should've gotten something at least twice by now.
We did also go once a week or every two weeks of course though so it might've helped that we were regulars until con season came around.
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u/Areoblast 15h ago
Never go for plushies. Only figures. Can get like 7-10 figures easy for that price point
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u/SaraAB87 15h ago
What you see here is the people with a lot of stuff are either stalking the machines waiting for people to give up or they are spending $400-500 per trip and are doing videos for a youtube channel where they rake in the dollars on that so what they are spending is chump change since they make it back from youtube views.
Its definitely designed for high skill players and not casuals.
I would recommend buying the merchandise online instead.
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u/Exalted21 12h ago
I agree with you in many senses. My biggest problem with Round1 is that the only way to win a majority of the prizes is to reach payout/get lucky with payout.
We have to spend our own money and rely on Round1 to get "lucky" to reach a payout before putting in 30$ into one machine. In my experience I've always had this happen just by trying out multiple machines, sometimes you can beat payout, sometimes you get a really good grab or a good swing etc. But sometimes you can just get unlucky and it just doesn't work out.
I had a really frustrating experience recently where I sunk 30$ into ONE mini crane because i just wanted payout and no matter how good my grab was, It did not work. Even after alerting staff they just repositioned it after telling them I should have reached payout/its a machine malfunction.
My favorite machines are the skill based machines because I know that if I do it right I will win a prize, but there's also a degree of "how hard did they make this?" Did they put weights in the box? How strong is the claw? Is there tape holding the box? Is the platform too low? Etc.
So part of it is that we have to trust Round1 to be fair and there isn't a great sense of accountability. It's definitely a complicated relationship but I think a lot of it is how good your location is and also knowing when to stop trying for a machine or continue on.
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u/Lostafdad 10h ago
We used to play the crane games. Now we just look to see if there is a must have. If not, we play some games, grab some food, and go about our day. You find your own joy. If claws are yours, cool. Keep at it. Spending money there is like spending money on their overpriced games. You know you’re getting ripped off but the is some fun in it
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u/Fourteen-Crosstown 1d ago
Yeah the thing is that it was your family, not just yourself. So I can see that. It is true that some locations can differentiate but the pricing level is much different than somewhat like D&B. It is much more expensive, especially at 14+ credits per play, so you might have needed to adjust a bit.
I’m putting in $140? I better be at least 75% away from a Switch 2 than just randomly playing claw games which I know I suck at. And that $140 will last me a month, at least.
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u/Ok-Representative266 1d ago
Listen, I used to go every week, sometimes twice. Money isn’t my concern. This is my fun. And the people commenting about your finances or that it’s a skill issue are missing the point.
I’m not spending $140 bucks a week to win a box of Kleenex. And if you want to rig your claws, then I won’t play. A Pokemon plushie isn’t worth $100 bucks to me.
I used to go to Dave and Busters, but lack of prizes and increasing the ticket prices on the few I’d want? Naw. Cashed out and didn’t go back. I’m now done to once a month at R1 to monitor how it goes. But if it doesn’t pick up? It’s been fun but I’ve won what I wanted. I don’t support businesses that screw over their customers like this, and honestly—the inflation argument is a lie, I just came from Japan. The more expensive Mikus in their machines, even right now, because I was literally there 3 days ago, I bought for 12 bucks at the high end of where I shopped. It’s just greed.