Sweet -thanks for the link! Ordered the stick and a set of Kuro's ($20 for a set of 8). Not too shabby. Can't wait to try them out. I'll probably install them on my HRAP3.
I'm still hoping the RAPV3 Hayabusa and wireless comes out in the US.
Most of the Amazon.jp and Hori-jp exclusive joystick releases don't make it through to official channels (re: Hori-USA website or GameStop) in the US.
It is possible that one of the arcade hardware dealers could pick up leftover stock and sell joysticks over here. Multiple import game companies did that in the past and that's how Japanese-exclusive releases ended up in the US -- among these exclusives were the White HRAP 3, the HRAP 2 SA, the original Japanese HRAP 3 SA production run, and the HRAP V3 BlazBlue Continuum Shift joysticks. Right now, the only company that seems inclined to import exclusive joysticks is Arcade Shock. (I bought my HRAP 3 SA and HRAP VLX Diamond through these guys...) They carry and have carried a LOT of formerly Amazon.jp exclusives... they actually had to mark down their HRAP N3 SA's after Hori-USA started officially selling those on the Hori website a few months back.
(HRAP N3 SA is the generic art Hori re-release of the same joystick case/faceplate panel used by the Hori Soul Calibur V joystick. The Hori DOA 5 joystick used a slightly different faceplate; the 30mm button positions were shifted a little bit in that release.)
Never say never... there's always a chance of a US release the Hayabusa HRAP V3's... More likely, they will probably be Arcade Shock releases of leftover Amazon.jp stock unless Hori's convinced they can sell these sticks in the US.
Nobody predicted Hori would release the Hayabusa and Kuro buttons separate from the Fighting Edge or that they would repack them into HRAP's, either!
(I'm still surprised they didn't do a Hayabusa/Kuro release on the HRAP N3/NX... That's their flagship HRAP right now. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if the parts did surface in a run of that stick case later this year! I'm personally sold on the Hayabusa. I really don't think Hori should buy JLF's from Sanwa or LS-32-01's from Seimitsu. They have a superior control lever in the Hayabusa!)
My thinking, though, is that Hori and Mad Catz have to be more concentrated on XBox One and PS4 joystick releases. The only thing holding up those are A) lack of killer-app fighting game titles and B) a smaller installed base for the consoles which can only go up higher unless the economy crashes.
IF Ultra Street Fighter IV does get confirmed for PS4/Xbox One, the bets are off -- of course, Hori and MC will release joysticks timed to release with the game!
I think PS3 and XBox 360 have at most 2-3 years left but in the meantime it really does seem like most people want to pick up new hardware/joysticks for the new systems and are pretty much out of collecting/buying gear for the PS3 and 360...