I'm sure the opinions of your friends are dear and true to you, but they are not FACT by any stretch.
Now, I'm not sure how you became the Ambassador of Fighting Games (AFG for short), but I'm sure you don't speak for the rest of the fighting game community.
Which stick and buttons each person uses is a preference.
Some people like HAPP, others like Sanwa, and some even like Seimitsu.
Some champions, like myself, use a combination of Sanwa and Happ
Other champions, like Justin Wong, use all Happ for every game they play (MvC2, 3rd Strike, Arcana Heart, Guilty Gear, T5:DR <--sometimes he switches for DR, but that's not 2D)
And some champions, like LinkRkc, can't live without Sanwa.
Some like square gate, some like octagonal, some like a straight circle.
Some like a red stick, some like a white, some like a blue.
Some like straight buttons, some like angled, and some like weird "the thumb button is really far away from the rest" buttons
Some people even like to use Hori based sticks over Sanwa and Seimitsu (the IDIOTS, GOD!! :p )
As you can see, it's perfectly natural for people to have different preferences about their setups.
But I'm sure the Happ sticks is the reason why there haven't been many new people haven't played the game that has only been there for a week... oh wait, we do play. Sorry, I almost forgot.
Could you please stop throwing around your opinion (and, by proxy, that of your friends) as fact?
I'd appreciate it, thanks.