FAQ
Q: Are the sticks available to buy? / When will they be for sale?
- A: The sticks are still in development so not publicly available to buy just yet. However to deal with the many request I’ve gotten since the beginning I have been keeping a non-commital waiting list. Anyone who expressed interest in getting a stick was put on this list. Any sticks I build will be offered (in order) to people on this list first.
– Currently not accepting any more people to the waiting list. - A: The timeline for when sticks will be available depends heavily on the following
- Length of the waiting list (over 500 people on the list currently)
- How many on the list decide to actually get a stick
- The speed of production once things get rolling.
In other words, my guess is as good as yours right now. Once I start making progress and get a decent number of sticks out there I should have a better idea.
Q: I’m No.xxx on the list, how far along the list are you?
- A: As of 08/03/18 I have worked my way through the wait list to No. 150
Q: How much will they cost?
- A: Obviously this is something I get asked a lot and it’s been hard to nail down since many aspects of this project are still in flux. Currently all the parts are hand made and the refurbished modules are labour intensive to assemble and test so expect to pay at least USD $100 for one. (To give you an idea, the price I’ve settled on for the limited Early Adopter Pack is $125 (that includes a free spare cap of choice and worldwide shipping). Beyond that the shipping and spare caps will likely be extra and price in general is subject to change as I better figure out the whole production process.
Q: What’s an “Early Adopter” and how can I become one?
- A: “Early adopter” is just a term I used to group the first 100 people on my waiting list. These are people who found the project really early on and expressed interest in buying a stick if I ever put them up for sale. The plan is to use the early adopter group as a production test run and “open beta” of sorts to potentially track down any last niggles that were missed in the previous rounds of testing. If you are on this list I will be in touch when the time comes.
Q: Do I send you a joystick to refurbish? / Can I buy a fully assembled N64 controller with a Steelstick installed?
- A: No, at least initially I will be selling just the refurbished joystick module for DIY install. Installing an N64 joystick module is very simple requiring no special knowledge or exotic tools. I may occasionally put a fully assembled controller up for sale, but generally I don’t want to deal with the extra logistics and hassle associated with selling complete controllers.
- A: That said I’m always on the look out for worn OEM joystick modules to refurbish and use for parts. If you have some you’d like to donate or sell (if you have a larger number) then let me know! I can use genuine modules in any condition.
Q: How are the sticks made, do you use CNC equipment?
- A: As of right now the parts are 100% hand made by me on manual machines. Think of a workflow similar to making and finishing custom jewelry and you’re not far off. This has made sense for prototyping and small batch work since constant changes and flexibility are required. It will likely remain the case for a while until I have everything nailed down and can look at further optimizing things through automation.
Q: You’re in Switzerland? Will you offer worldwide shipping?
- A: Yes the plan is to offer worldwide shipping. Priority Untracked shipping costs around $20 to the rest of the world and $15 to Europe.
Q: Why isn’t my question answered here? 🙂
- A: I tried to cover some of the more common questions here, if you’d like to know anything else just email me info@steelsticks64.com or use the contact form on the right. It may take me a while to respond at the moment.