Postby Variable » Sun Oct 01, 2017 11:23
Echo1432's approach notwithstanding, I do somewhat agree with his sentiment.
I very much appreciate that VKB has chosen to iterate and improve fast rather than support subpar products for years on end. However, as someone who bought a Gladiator 5pin, and then a Gunfighter Pro (rev A 3 pin), all of these interfaces are a bit frustrating. I don't mind missing out on new revision features, like the friction wheels on the newer gimbals when a new version comes out, that's just progress. But buying a gladiator, which was meant to have swappable sticks in the future, immediately no longer supporting even the same exact stick when the next version came out is very concerning, even though VKB is at this time clearly attempting to support all older interfaces.
Obviously there are engineering concerns that I may be unaware of, but if possible, I would personally prefer to buy a relatively inexpensive kit or adapter (<=$50) to upgrade my old Gladiator and Gunfighter to the new interface, and see VKB only sell sticks with that new interface, assuming at some point they find an interface they want to stay with. I'm buying VKB products because I like the quality, and I like the promised modularity. However, if interfaces switch regularly, modularity disappears quickly.
I do understand that VKB is a business, and must make decision accordingly, but I urge you to reconsider an adapter-first (or part-replacement-first) approach to these sorts of changes. The idea that I might want to buy a 5 pin MCG pro for my Gladiator Mk1, but won't be able to use it with the Gunfight Mk 5 base (2 years from now) that I buy is antithetical to what VKB mostly seems to claim. I find it very hard to believe that making different version of each grip will be more cost effective than adapters or replacement modules. I am very willing to take some additional length from an adapter if required.
That said, I've pre-ordered a Rev A 3pin MCG. I would love to keep up with the latest and greatest advancements VKB has to offer, but $160 vs $450 for an equivalent new setup, just to switch the direction of the interface contacts, is insane.
I can't help but think many consumers in this niche market would agree with my thoughts here, but I could be wrong.
Thanks for reading. Regards.
Edit: I want to point out that I bought the Gunfighter Rev A Pro set, but I would have preferred to have bought it with just the base and extension, and used an adapter for my already existing Gladiator stick, so that I didn't have to re-buy the stick. So, these sorts of concerns are already manifesting, in my opinion. And this is coming from someone still willing, and frankly wanting, to buy new VKB products. I'm sure some people may not be. To reiterate, I think VKB iterating fast and frequently is fantastic, but these modularity issues need to be considered and handled much more carefully in my opinion.