The
US version of amazon shows that with a 4.4/5 rating, with 722 reviews. I'm sure a lot of those are PS3 reviewers, but if there were build quality problems I think the rating would be lower. I would consider this same stick if my Sidewinder died today.
For me the joystick is about immersion. Maybe I could play better with mouse and keyboard, but I would feel like I was
playing Battlefield of Duty Tournament in space, rather than
flying a spaceship. That's why I could never get into Freelancer - there wasn't even an option to use the joystick. I used to use a wheel for racing games for the same reason, but once I got a family and had to share my desk there just was not room for it any more, so I use an Xbox 360 controller for those.
Too bad they don't make force feedback sticks any more (afaik - other than rumble feedback). That adds even more to the experience, feeling your ship react to weapons firing, afterburners kicking in, missile hits, shock waves, collisions, and even cap ship engine wash.