I wouldn't say that the X-arcade is a "patent rip-off" of the Hotrod. It is similar, that's true, but aren't all DVD players, bicycles, televisions, toilet paper rolls, tennis shoes, TV sitcoms, etc. (just to name a few) basically just rip-offs of the same respective ideas?
Maybe only the person who designed the very first control panel in existence was truly breaking ground. Just like all the examples above, all that came after the first were and are interpretations of an idea.
Plus, X-arcade has adapters for consoles, the Hotrod is only PS/2... Isn't that "a single thing of their own"?
I don't even own an X-arcade (although I just put in an order for joys and buttons), but it irks me when people like this guy come in and start spewing about hating this and hating that. Gimme a break.