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Tankstick game controller touts joysticks, trackball

Xgaming on Monday introduced the Tankstick, a new "industrial strength" game controller that features two joysticks, arrays of buttons and a center-mounted trackball. It's USB-based and compatible with Macs, PCs, and various game consoles (using different interface adapters) and costs $199.95.

Like Xgaming's other products, the Tankstick isn't made to be unobtrusive: It measures 30 inches from side to side and weighs a mammoth 20 pounds. But it's designed to give serious gamers an arcade-style experience at home, with the same kind of high-quality joystick, button and trackball action you'd find in the arcade. It also sports dual left/right pinball flipper buttons.

The trackball itself is oversized, just like the kind you'd find on Centipede or Missile Command coin-op machines, but it's recognized by the Mac as a standard mouse -- so you need no drivers or special software to get it to work.

Classic arcade game software is included, but it's only for the PC -- great if you've got an Intel Mac with Boot Camp installed. Otherwise, you'll need to fend for yourself on the Mac end.