Thierry_NYC :
sorry to disagree, but comparing this device to a glorified Wii remote is missing the point - by a lot. If you have ever tried 3DRudder, you know that it does much more than a simple controller and notably allows achieving complex trajectories in less than 1 minute of trying it. This would be almost impossible with traditional gamepads and would requires training to achieve with very sophisticated joysticks.
Now, given it is not designed for standing VR (it is designed for playing while seating). My personal belief is that 3DRudder is poised for mass adoption, once properly tested with major games. Pricewise, it should be compared to a cyberith virtualizer ($599) or to a virtuix omni ($699) although both these products are made for playing standing up and require quite a bit of space vs. 3DRudder wich is more your (under the) desktop device.
The Cyberith Virtualizer and Virtuix Omni are both large machines though, with a significant materials cost. The Omni's shipping weight is 227 pounds (103 kg), and comes with a pair of special shoes with tracking pods, in addition to the platform, frame and harness. The Virtualizer is also set to be a rather large device at around 110 pounds (50 kg). They need to be sturdy and well built to keep users safe, and that adds to their cost. The price is about what you might expect for a piece of mid-range exercise equipment.
The 3DRudder, on the other hand, is a fairly small device that weighs maybe a few pounds and is constructed almost entirely out of plastic. As such, the cost of its materials and manufacture should be relatively low. And really, the tech inside doesn't sound much different from what can be found in a Wii Remote Plus, something sold on Amazon for a little over $30.
I think the device looks cool for what it is, but I also think it could be a hard sell for anything over maybe a hundred dollars or so. Unlike the Virtualizer and Omni, which allow for intuitive motions for navigating an environment, like walking, running, jumping and so on, the controls of the 3DRudder are much more abstract. Tilting and rotating a disk with your feet from a seated position doesn't provide the same level of immersion as natural motions. And you mentioned trying a flight simulator, but a HOTAS-style flight stick, which start around $50, would probably be a better fit for such a game. I suppose it could be a decent enough device for seated VR setups where your hands might be occupied by motion controllers, but again, I question how many people are going to be willing to spend a couple hundred dollars for that. The price will probably come down in time though, as there seems to be an "early adopter tax" covering everything VR-related for now.
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