SoulCalibur V to get its own FightStick

Mad Catz has delivered more than a few fighting sticks through recent partnerships for game-specific controllers for Super Street Fighter IV, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and the upcoming Tekken hybrid. Hot on the heals of a deal for a Tekken controller, Namco Bandai went back to the hardware maker to ensure SoulCalibur V gets its own stick as well.

Product manager for Mad Catz, Mark Julio, provided a few details regarding the Arcade FightStick Soul Edition on the forum of fighting game fanatic site Shoryuken.com. The new FightStick will be similar to the Super Street Fighter IV Chun-Li Tournament Edition FightStick, but with a new button layout specifically designed for SoulCalibur. It will also sport a translucent body and cosmetic stylings to make it fit in with the SoulCalibur aesthetic.

The Soul Edition FightStick will be available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 alongside SoulCalibur V's launch on January 31, 2012, in North America. European and Japanese availability has also been confirmed. Pricing for the Soul Edition FightStick has not been revealed, but similar sticks from Mad Catz retail for about $150.

SoulCalibur V is the latest entry in Namco Bandai's weapon-based fighter that started its life on the Dreamcast. Namco has slated 30 characters for inclusion, and the series' tradition of including guest characters from other games will continue with Ezio from Assassin's Creed confirmed to be joining the mix.

For more on SoulCalibur V, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.