July 30, 2007 9:15 AM PDT

Wii dominates iPhone in crane game war

The Wii dominates in the important 'size of crane game' metric

The Wii dominates in the important size-of-crane-game metric.

(Credit: CNET)

$5 a pop to try and win an iPhone

Five dollars a pop to try and win an iPhone.

(Credit: JoeyGadget.com)

The iPhone is one of the most lusted-after gadgets, but if the size of their respective crane games is any indicator, the Nintendo Wii is still the most coveted tech--at least on the Point Pleasant Boardwalk at the Jersey Shore. When I saw the iPhone crane game images on JoeyGadget last week (via Gizmodo), I couldn't help but think of my own summer Jersey Shore trip a few weeks ago, where I saw this incredibly large Wii crane game. While the Wii game clearly dominates in size, the iPhone game costs more per play--$5 per try for an iPhone and only $2 per try for a Wii. I also spotted some Xbox 360 and PS3 crane games during my visit, but they were the same size as the iPhone game and didn't get front-of-the-arcade treatment like the Wii game. And as you'd probably guess, I didn't see anyone come close to actually winning a Wii.

More pics after the jump.

(Credit: CNET)
(Credit: CNET)
(Credit: CNET)
Recent posts from Crave
Zune phone concept: Hot or not?
Who makes more, the Apple Store Genius Bar or Best Buy's Geek Squad?
New Lenovo PCs cue up free Napster service
LG LX600 clears FCC
Nyko Wing Classic Controller: Better than the Nintendo original?
Add a Comment (Log in or register) 5 comments
Really good deal!
by Alansmallen July 30, 2007 4:22 PM PDT
For $5 for three plays. You have to play less than 150 times before winning to make it worth while. You could easily get it within 50 tries for a third of the price of a Wii. Same with the iPhone. I suddenly have an urge to go down to the shore.
Reply to this comment View reply
not a good deal
by canarack July 30, 2007 7:25 PM PDT
just got back from seaside. those cranes are so rigged its insane. i spent a ton of money trying to win wiis, 360s, ps3s, iphones... ended up getting laser pointers, keychains, and random crap.
Reply to this comment
This is not a game of skill.
by Mikeybabes July 31, 2007 7:19 PM PDT
For those of you who still don't know, these games are rigged to only pay-up after a set number of plays. There is a setting on each machine that allows the owners to control when a win occurs after a set number of plays. Think about it, have you seen any of these machines payout in quick succession, and would the owners allow it?
The only way to 'beat' the machine is to wait until someone wins, and literally count how many goes it takes for the next payout. Your only hope is that someone leaves the machine just before the next payout so you can claim the win.
Now, just work out at what that setting would be for it to cover the cost of the Wii, cover the rent and electricity costs, cover the costs of hiring the machine, ensure that the owners make a tidy profit as well.
Still fancy your chances? Of course there's always the chance that some sucker may have left the machine right before a payout, but how will you know?
Reply to this comment
Powered by Jive Software

About Crave

The name says it all. Crave is our blog about gorgeous gadgets and other crushworthy stuff. If you would like to contact Crave with a tip or comment, please write to: crave@cnet.com

Add this feed to your online news reader

Crave topics

advertisement

Inside CNET News

Scroll Left Scroll Right
  • News - Business Tech

    Samsung contemplating SanDisk acquisition

    South Korean consumer electronics giant is considering a buyout of the chipmaker to reduce its NAND flash memory costs, according to PaidContent.

  • Gallery

    Images: The art of 'Spore' prototypes

    Will Wright and his Maxis team worked on dozens of prototypes to test the elements of their soon-to-be-released evolution game. Here's a sampling.

  • The Open Road

    Analysts as a lagging indicator of success

    Gartner, Forrester, and other analyst firms tend to be great predictors of the past, probably because that's where they get their money.

  • Outside the Lines

    EIC Squared: Chrome, iPods, and a Dell-Salesforce union

    On this week's EIC Squared podcast CNET's Dan Farber and ZDNet's Larry Dignan discuss Google's latest rocket launch--the Chrome browser--as well as Apple's iPod event next week and a Dell-Salesforce.com union.

  • Video

    Katie Couric reflects on first Webcast

    The political conventions are over and so are CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric's first series of Webcasts. CNET's Kara Tsuboi sat down with Couric on the final night of the RNC to discuss what she liked about Webcasting, some of her most memorable guests and if TV news could be dead by the next round of conventions in four years.

  • News - Wireless

    Start-up launches spectrum marketplace

    A new company called Spectrum Bridge has launched a Web site for buying and selling wireless spectrum licenses.

  • Video

    YouTube plays party politics

    During the presidential campaigning four years ago, YouTube didn't even exist. Now it's a tool candidates must master to get their message across. CNET's Kara Tsuboi stops by the YouTube upload booths at the Democratic and Republican conventions to find out why Google's video site has such a big presence in Denver and St. Paul, Minn.

  • News - Gaming and Culture

    Are Demo and TechCrunch50 fragmenting their audiences?

    With both events scheduled to start Monday, many press, as well as venture capitalists and others are having to choose which one to attend.

  • News - Cutting Edge

    Execs predict next Google-like tech

    On eve of company's 10-year anniversary, researchers and business pundits speculate about what technologies might someday have as much impact as Google.

  • Gallery

    Photos: Future Combat Systems, here and now

    The U.S. Army has ambitious plans for a widespread high-tech refresh of its vehicles and other soldier gear. It's also finding a way to make some parts happen sooner rather than later.

  • Crave

    Zune phone concept: Hot or not?

    Yanko Design has imagined a concept for a Microsoft Zune phone.

  • Green Tech

    Duke Energy to invest in mini solar power plants

    Can hundreds of rooftop solar panels collectively operate like a central power plant? Duke Energy launches $100 million distributed solar program to find out.