Can't wait till Nov/Dec when this stick arrives. Getting schooled using a normal controller is OK, but getting owned while trying to maneuver an over-the-top joystick will be awesome. The price wont change, btw; they've been collecting payments in full with the orders for a month already.
It's a little disheartening to see so many people bitching about pricing compared to sticks that were designed from the ground up to be mass-produced, though. The size of the minimum order -- 1500 sticks to make this thing a reality -- means they were budgeting for/expecting a relatively small order, if any. The unusual design means things would have to have been redesigned and remade from the ground up (it's been so long that I doubt there'd be anything other than some old design data from the older sticks left, which won't really help reduce manufacturing costs), and that's extra overhead they gotta make up for (and probably accounted for much of the initial cost).
Funny how the linked article missed this point as well -- the stick was never intended to be a cheap stick, lest it be forced to try and sell well over any number that could be achieved considering the number of players.
This would be awesome if there was a lot of support for it. Unfortunately, with most gaming peripherals, there just usually isn't support for more than two or three games at best. Most of the time it's just one.
I've got a weird collection of stuff - the Steel Battalion controller, a taiko drum, a Dreamcast fishing controller, two Guncon 1s, dance mats, arcade sticks for almost every system... it'd be nice to make these peripherals stretch across more than one game (arcade sticks notwithstanding).
I wonder if the online community for this game still exists. I know it dropped for the top 10 arcade games pretty quickly. [majornelson.com]I hope not because buying a $300 joystick for a dead arcade game is just sad.
@Knoxximus ver. 5.66:
@Legendary Homaru:
I'm delighted to hear that the VO community continues to thrive. I witnessed the quick death of the Vigilante 8:2ndO community which took all of a month to come to pass. Just an example, I'm not comparing V8:2ndO to VO. Also, I can never get a game Golden Axe going.
It would be great if MS could give gamers a picture of a communities' health for a given game. Of course this would never happen because of the negative effect it would have on future sales for a given product.
On a side note: I should never comment after rolling out of bed...so many typos.
@aNiMeMaN14: Hey, I'm using my $60 360 controller to play with my $10 dollar copy of Marvel Ultimate Alliance.
Oh what the hell am I trying to say here, it's just ridiculous.
I've never quite understood the appeal of joysticks.
I was born in 1991, in England, we're not exactly brimming with arcades here, and I never visited the ones we did have when I was young, and my first console was a Mega Drive, which had a pad rather than a stick.
Basically what I'm saying is I'm too young to have used a joystick and that causes me confusion when I see that people are selling these for $300 with a straight face.
@Bardock: I take it you've never had a seaside holiday then, or if you did you were kept away from the arcades. Here in Blackpool there's a crapload of arcades along the promenade, granted not as many as their used to be but still many, it's a shame however that they're now crammed with driving games and rail shooters. I miss the beat 'em ups and stupidly impossible platform games
@MiST: as do I. I remember once on a ferry when I was really young there being a bubble bobble arcade machine and a super mario world arcade machine. I played on them between throwing up from sea sickness. thank god it doesn't affect me anymore!
@Bardock: Like the others have said. Also if you don't mind loud noises, a crowded atmosphere etc and live close enough to London you could always go to the Trocadero. Pretty sure there's plenty of arcade machines still there. I remember having a go at Tekken 6 last year.
@Bardock: I'm in your boat, yeah. It also means I suck at fighters when using a stick, so apparently I can never be very good. The SF4 pads were a bit of a godsend, really.
@Protector one: I can see the comments now:
"Works great, thanks. 10/10."
"Dont download this! It's a fake! Looks real until you unzip it, but it's a CD-i controller!"
"Needs more seeders plz!"
300 bucks? Geez! It makes me wonder what a redesign of the old Steel Battalion controller would be like if Hori ever got to do it. Probably would cost an arm and a leg, and would probably as indestructable as the mecha robot you pilot.
Edit: Wait... when did I pick up this shiny star? That's... unexpected. Thanks Kotaku. And thanks again for the edit option.
Well unfortunately, until they reduce that price to say, oh, $60? I'm not buying the damn thing. To hell with you, Hori. Not even Stell Battalion cost that much, and it included the game and the massive, amazing controller which has other uses.
08/05/09
08/06/09
08/05/09
Oratan.com
08/05/09
[forums.shoryuken.com]
Got pretty much everything i need and my total spend is £26 so far! Doing my best to remember GCSE electronics to complete this, wish me luck!
08/05/09
It's a little disheartening to see so many people bitching about pricing compared to sticks that were designed from the ground up to be mass-produced, though. The size of the minimum order -- 1500 sticks to make this thing a reality -- means they were budgeting for/expecting a relatively small order, if any. The unusual design means things would have to have been redesigned and remade from the ground up (it's been so long that I doubt there'd be anything other than some old design data from the older sticks left, which won't really help reduce manufacturing costs), and that's extra overhead they gotta make up for (and probably accounted for much of the initial cost).
Funny how the linked article missed this point as well -- the stick was never intended to be a cheap stick, lest it be forced to try and sell well over any number that could be achieved considering the number of players.
08/05/09
I've got a weird collection of stuff - the Steel Battalion controller, a taiko drum, a Dreamcast fishing controller, two Guncon 1s, dance mats, arcade sticks for almost every system... it'd be nice to make these peripherals stretch across more than one game (arcade sticks notwithstanding).
08/05/09
08/05/09
08/05/09
THIS is what i want for $300. Man that controller was great!
08/05/09
08/05/09
08/05/09
08/05/09
@Legendary Homaru:
I'm delighted to hear that the VO community continues to thrive. I witnessed the quick death of the Vigilante 8:2ndO community which took all of a month to come to pass. Just an example, I'm not comparing V8:2ndO to VO. Also, I can never get a game Golden Axe going.
It would be great if MS could give gamers a picture of a communities' health for a given game. Of course this would never happen because of the negative effect it would have on future sales for a given product.
On a side note: I should never comment after rolling out of bed...so many typos.
08/05/09
Oh the world we live in.
08/05/09
Oh what the hell am I trying to say here, it's just ridiculous.
08/05/09
I was born in 1991, in England, we're not exactly brimming with arcades here, and I never visited the ones we did have when I was young, and my first console was a Mega Drive, which had a pad rather than a stick.
Basically what I'm saying is I'm too young to have used a joystick and that causes me confusion when I see that people are selling these for $300 with a straight face.
08/05/09
08/05/09
08/05/09
08/05/09
08/05/09
The digitial distribution apocalypse is upon us.
Repent.
08/05/09
08/05/09
Can't wait until Dualshocks start showing up on the torrent sites.
08/05/09
"Works great, thanks. 10/10."
"Dont download this! It's a fake! Looks real until you unzip it, but it's a CD-i controller!"
"Needs more seeders plz!"
07/10/09
Edit: Wait... when did I pick up this shiny star? That's... unexpected. Thanks Kotaku. And thanks again for the edit option.
07/10/09
If wasnt so tight for cash currently Id seriously consdier throwing down for a pre-order.
07/10/09