Ah Mechwarrior how I lament Thee. Flight Yoke, Saitek X36 RIP. The Age of Simulation is over I doubt we will ever see a revival.
I remember making my own keyboard overlay for Stealth Fighter after loosing the original.
Unfortunatly for me I don't see a place for niche gaming in the future. There won't be enough return to justify the investment.
Freelancer as much as I loved it as a spiritual succesor to Privateer was the nail in the coffin.