[Image via raika0510

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For the past two years, Sega Japan has been hiding a coded message on the plastic bags it gives out to those who win crane game prizes. Nobody realized they contained a secret message. That is, until now.




Sega’s crane games are called UFO Catchers, and as I wrote in Arcade Mania, they are typically located on the arcade’s ground floor as way to entice people into arcades.


There are hardcore UFO Catcher players, but most people try to win prizes for their kids, their date, or, yes, themselves.

They don’t always win! Though, in some arcades, the staff will help make the prizes easier to nab, especially if you’ve been feeding the machines loads of money, but not always.




As pointed out by IT Media (via RocketNews and Sega Nerds), a Japanese Twitter user named Sendou realized that the dots and bars on the bags weren’t only design elements, but Morse code.


The Morse code on the bag reads, “UFO Catcher is not a vending machine.” Meaning? Just because you put money in a UFO Catcher, that doesn’t mean you are going to get a prize!

This bag has been in use since 2014, and Sega’s official Twitter account confirmed that this was the meaning, writing that the bag’s graphic designer purposely added this message because when you play a UFO Catcher, there is suspense as to whether or not you are going to win a prize.


Or, maybe, figure out the secret message.