Flight Stick Bundle Announced for Ace Combat 6 (Xbox 360)

[fitbabits]

Official Press Release:

Santa Clara, Calif., (June 15, 2007) – Leading video games developer and publisher NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. announced today that it has partnered with HORI Co. Ltd., a Japan-based peripherals manufacturer, to offer a limited edition Ace Combat® 6 ACE-EDGE™Flightstick Bundle. The bundle set, retailing for $149.99 and shipping this holiday season will include a copy of the highly anticipated new flight action game, Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation, its newly advanced peripheral from HORI, the Ace Combat 6 ACE-EDGE Flightstick, and an exclusive Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation collectible faceplate for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.
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[fitbabits]

...continues...

The ACE-EDGE Flightstick is the first and only flightstick for the Xbox 360. Taking advantage of Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation’s ultra-realistic and immersive flight combat experience, the unique peripheral offers an analog throttle to control speed and a layout that fully utilizes the game’s excellent pad controls. The ACE-EDGE Flightstick will give gamers the ultimate Ace Combat experience as they live the war zone feeling the intensity of being right there in the cockpit as they face the most action-packed aerial combat to date.

“HORI’s long history of quality peripherals for NAMCO BANDAI games can assure gamers that the ACE-EDGE Flightstick will truly live up to its predecessors and enhance the already incredible and intensely realistic Ace Combat gameplay experience,” Makoto Iwai, Executive Vice President and COO at NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., said. “We are confident that this bundle set offers gamers the most complete and compelling Ace Combat experience ever.”

The Ace Combat 6 ACE-EDGE Flightstick Bundle will be available in a limited edition quantity at Electronics Boutique, GameStop and Gamecrazy outlets nationwide as well as online at Amazon.com this holiday season. Consumers who purchase the premium set will also receive a custom-made Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation Xbox 360 faceplate that will not be available anywhere else.

“In the crowded peripheral market, a HORI product is always unique and well-known for its quality,” said Yuuki Mizutani at HORI Co. Ltd. “The ACE-EDGE Flightstick was designed specifically with Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation in mind. Our totally unique and technologically advanced flight stick and NAMCO BANDAI’s newest flight-action game, will be a killer combination and a must-buy bundle for Ace Combat fans when it hits stores this holiday season along with the game.”
I'm off to find a picture of this before I pass judgment, but the price is frightening and likely a little too rich for casual fans of the series

[fitbabits]

Ah, here's a picture:

http://media.teamxbox.com/games/ss/1688/1181960827.jpg

Courtesy of Team Xbox (http://www.teamxbox.com).

[Knite]

It'd be nice if I could use my Saitek X52 instead, since this looks almost EXACTLY like it.. =P

[Gaz]

Gotta admit... it's a tad ugly. But I'll no doubt pick it up, being an utter Ace Combat whore. Still, I'm sure it'll be mappable in Windows as well, thanks to it being USB.

[Steve_Erhardt]

It'd be nice if I could use my Saitek X52 instead, since this looks almost EXACTLY like it.. =P
More like an exact clone of a Saitek X45, aside from the top hat and red button switching places. I sure hope they licensed the design from Saitek, 'cause otherwise I smell lawsuit in the air.

[NinjaSverre]

I'm sure it will work with PC. But I gotta agree with Gaz, it's ugly. But planefanatics will buy it. At work we sell a holyfuckton of flight sim-addons. $12 for a few new planes and people are shoving out.

[TrackZero]

Whoa whoa whoa, it's fucking cabled? I mean, if it's wireless, sure, but I am DONE with cabling shit.

[jadkins555]

Ah, stole my thoughts TackZero. Was just about to say I would only consider it if it were wireless.

[Gaz]

It'll be the same ol' Microsoft keeping it's wireless technology as closed as possible to other hardware manufacturers.

[Wadmaasi]

I'm going to have to buy this, and I've never played an Ace Combat game before. (0 keeps looking at me with puppy dog eyes from the $20 greatest hits collection.) Between Guitar Hero 3 forcing me to buy it (w00 Pumpkins and Weezer!) and this, my wife is going to fucking kill me for buying games which require monster controllers which I "don't play."

Anyone want a used copy of Steel Battalion + controller? Relatively cheap. =(

Edit: Oh hey, and Amazon will be carrying it so we don't have to support the EB/Gamestop pre-order evilness.

[TrackZero]

Anyone want a used copy of Steel Battalion + controller? Relatively cheap. =(


1st edition controller, or 2nd? (i.e., Green or Blue buttons?)

[Wadmaasi]

I think blue, but I'd have to check to be sure.

[Uniqueusername]

Gotta admit... it's a tad ugly.
Bland square base, exposed screws, and what looks like a sticky label on the top?

More than a tad, I'd say. It looks like it missed out on the last 10 years of peripheral design.

Still, if it's a good controller, I guess that's the most important thing.

[Stormwatcher]

Whoa whoa whoa, it's fucking cabled? I mean, if it's wireless, sure, but I am DONE with cabling shit.

You people are so spoiled. Seriously. Why would you NEED a wireless HOTAS?
It's not like you would be able to walk around with it anyway.


Those colors are kinda ugly, but the setup is awesome. I wish I could buy one of those, even if I still have no Xbox.

[Skyelan]

You people are so spoiled. Seriously. Why would you NEED a wireless HOTAS?

Because wires suck, and they should burn.

Let me tell you something, sonny! I've had four or five long gens of tangles, tripping, and near-horror-story experiences of someone snagging on a wire and bringing a console crashing down! And we're past that. There's no bloody good reason for wires anymore.

[Wadmaasi]

1st edition controller, or 2nd? (i.e., Green or Blue buttons?)
Blue buttons.

[inmostlight]

That price and it's not even a force feedback flight stick? WTF?

[Scramble]

I think it looks pretty good. I've always wanted a decent flight stick. Does this mean though, that this game isn't going to be as arcadey as it's predecessors?

[Deadend]

I think it looks pretty good. I've always wanted a decent flight stick. Does this mean though, that this game isn't going to be as arcadey as it's predecessors?
It will be the most realistic flight game on the 360.

Still doesn't put it very close to realism.

[Stormwatcher]

Because wires suck, and they should burn.

Let me tell you something, sonny! I've had four or five long gens of tangles, tripping, and near-horror-story experiences of someone snagging on a wire and bringing a console crashing down! And we're past that. There's no bloody good reason for wires anymore.

IT'S A FUCKING HOTAS! IT MUST BE PLACED ON A TABLE OR SOMETHING! YOU CANNOT PLAY IT WHILE WALKING AROUND OR ANYTHING.

Sheesh, people, stop being such a bunch of whiners. An awesome wired HOTAS is a hell lot better than no HOTAS at all.

[51|RandoM]

It'd be nice if I could use my Saitek X52 instead, since this looks almost EXACTLY like it.. =P

It is the X45. Hori must be doing a deal with Saitek.

In other news, is anybody else getting tired of proprietary 360 peripherals that

a) cost more than standardized peripherals, and
b) only work with the 360

????

[TrackZero]

IT'S A FUCKING HOTAS! IT MUST BE PLACED ON A TABLE OR SOMETHING! YOU CANNOT PLAY IT WHILE WALKING AROUND OR ANYTHING.

Sheesh, people, stop being such a bunch of whiners. An awesome wired HOTAS is a hell lot better than no HOTAS at all.

The point is, cables can be tripped over, they're a leash on distance and they're simply no longer required.

I'm not debating how nice the controller is. That's not in question.

[Johan]

Cables are out. I agree. There's always the risk of someone (a kid, say?) running by and raging through the cable. That has happened on more than one occasion. Breakaway cables, like on the original Xbrick, can help...but I'm all over wireless myself.

Speaking of flight games, I've heard that the Flight Simulator X is pretty dang good. Anyone tried that?

And will this peripheral work with PC as well as the 360?

[SolitudeSeraph]

If this works for other games that'd be great like the upcoming Sylpheed game...

[Zanzibar]

Cables are out. I agree. There's always the risk of someone (a kid, say?) running by and raging through the cable. That has happened on more than one occasion. Breakaway cables, like on the original Xbrick, can help...but I'm all over wireless myself.

Speaking of flight games, I've heard that the Flight Simulator X is pretty dang good. Anyone tried that?

And will this peripheral work with PC as well as the 360?

If you've gotta have cables, breakaway cables are godsends. Saved my original Xbox from cat-astrophic free-falls not once, but twice (thanks to my easily-spooked kitty, Cupcake).

I'm certain it will work with the PC. Has there been an X360 controller built yet that hasn't? (Apart from the wireless one, but that's only because they didn't release the USB interface kit until later)

[51|RandoM]

I'm certain it will work with the PC. Has there been an X360 controller built yet that hasn't? (Apart from the wireless one, but that's only because they didn't release the USB interface kit until later)

I'm certain it won't.

The 360 wheel doesn't work on PC.

I already have an X45 on my PC, how about making that work on the 360 instead of making me buy another, uglier, gimped X45? Hmm, maybe it will work, muahahaha.

[TrackZero]

If this works for other games that'd be great like the upcoming Sylpheed game...

Yeah, damn. I spent 4 hours playing the demo yesterday. Good fun.

[51|RandoM]

All that whining aside, the X45 is great throttle+stick combo. What you can't see in that picture is the really big rocker button on the front of the throttle which is used for rudder control. Presumably this stick has it too.

That is the main reason I never upgraded to the X52. The X52 features twist rudder in the joystick, something I just do not like, at least in comparison to the rocker on the X45 throttle. YMMV, obviously.

[Mr.Green]

It'll be the same ol' Microsoft keeping it's wireless technology as closed as possible to other hardware manufacturers.
Yeah, too bad wireless USB peripherals are alien technology. I was lucky enough to have E.T. drop by with a wireless USB keyboard that works on my 360. Pretty neat.

[Limech]

The 360 wheel doesn't work on PC.

What the hell are you talking about?

You simply need this:
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/x/xbox360wirelessgamingreceiver/

[Dag-Sabot]

I'm so pre-ordering this... And a bag of chips.

[NeoSuplex]

If this works for other games that'd be great like the upcoming Sylpheed game...

That's exactly what I was thinking. A controller just doesn't do that game justice.

[Rook34]

I'm so suprised no one has asked this question yet:

" It looks the exact same as the one that came with the PS2 verion, AND it's USB.. Will it work? " Oh god, I hope so...

[Wasson_]

look...I love the AC games...but "Ultra Realistic"? lol...

Come now, this isn't IL-2 we're talking about here kiddies.

That stick is bad ass and all....but I honestly would rather just use the regular controller for Ace Combat, I incessantly look around with the right joystick in cockpit view when I play, as I don't use the auto track view option because it's sissified, and the hud only view is boring. and I've never liked flying from a 3rd person perspective, at least in a "flying game" where the aircraft behave like they should.

well if the HAT button works good....

[RorschachCCCLX]

Edit: Oh hey, and Amazon will be carrying it so we don't have to support the EB/Gamestop pre-order evilness.

evilness? its evil to hold your game for you and call you when it comes in? as opposed to say, wal-mart or target where you go in and simply hope its there come release day... and they don't let you trade in your old stuff towards it or pay as you go.

I sware sometimes I think people just follow the leader when it comes to game stop hating. get over it , seriously.

[51|RandoM]

What the hell are you talking about?

You simply need this:
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/x/xbox360wirelessgamingreceiver/

Ah great, so I have to buy another microsoft proprietary device.

No thanks.

[KingGorilla]

Maddox is working on some truly amazing things. He is actually going to deliver on Microsoft's Fight Sim X "Google Earth" appearance. Maddox is promising to deliver on Google Street, so to speak. He feels that his team has mastered the plane, now they want to work more on the surroundings, including actual weather systems, flying into storm clouds from sunlit sky, etc.

Fuck...cmon Dan you have held off on the X52 for this long, just a little longer man.

Shit-Fuck, I want that flight stick/throttle combo.

[Wadmaasi]

evilness?
Yeah, pretty much.