
Photo: Great Big Story

Photo: Netease
The 35-year-old IT worker says that there are two types of claw machines – ones that actually requires skill to beat, and others that are programmed and are impossible to beat, no matter how good you are. Obviously, he only uses the former, but even then he keeps an eye out for certain factors that influence the chances of successfully catching a toy. “First is the claw’s holding capacity. It needs to be tight enough,” Chen says. “Second is the angle of claw rotation. Third is the layout of toys. These parameters decide whether you are able to get a toy out.”
Photo: Netease
Zhitong realized early on that he had a gift, and after comparing his achievements to those of other claw machine enthusiasts around China, he is convinced that he is the king of claw machines, at least in the Asian country. “I once saw a university student put online a picture of his collection, saying ‘claw machine owners are already crying their hearts out! I saw it and laughed it off, it wasn’t even one-tenth of my collection, thank you very much.” Even when he had just 3,000 toys collected from claw machines, Chen Zhitong complained about lack of storage space in his home, but now, with over 15,000 prizes under his belt, things are really getting serious. Luckily, he has found a way to clear up some space and bring joy to kids who nee it most, at the same time.“Having gained so many toys has become a problem for me, they have filled up my apartment and become a real burden, ” the claw machine master told Great Big Story. “I realized that I should give these lovely toys to people who need them, so last year I donated about 1,000 toys to schools for the deaf and the blind.”