| Potent potions deliver steep caffeine
Leaving his ambulance idling outside, yellow lights flashing, Denver paramedic Austin Coleman strides into a 7-Eleven just south of University Hospital and heads straight for the beverage cooler. He jerks open a door, reaches in and hauls out his favorite pick-me-up - a 16-ounce can of the energy drink Rockstar, which he typically buys at the beginning of every 10-hour work shift. "It makes me awake," the 30-year-old rescue worker says of the concoction, one of dozens of caffeine-laced brands now bellying up to a bar once occupied solely by Red Bull. "I've tried them all, and they work, that's for sure," Coleman says. "This one has more than the regular size, and I like the sugar-free kind." Like its competitors, Rockstar promises a metabolic jump-start. As the legend on the side of the can puts it, "Rockstar is scientifically formulated to provide an incredible energy boost for those who lead active and exhausting lifestyles - from athletes to rock stars." But it's an open question whether this or any other "high-performance" beverage actually conveys much more benefit than, say, a cup of coffee and a banana or peanut-butter sandwich.
Shockstar Games
Public perception generally equates the life of a true (stereotypical) rock star as being something akin to a roller coaster ride of fame and fortune, an envied existence largely consisting of negative press and focused criticism, all of it surrounding an incessant stream of profit-lined controversy that often exists separately from any marketable product said 'star' happens to create. Moreover, the tired cliches of music industry profiling decree that copious amounts of Class-A drugs, meaningless sex, foul-mouthed conduct, wanton property destruction, and the occasional death and/or suicide in suspicious circumstances, is an all-but guaranteed blueprint for blazing glory and eventual self-destruction. Scant few music industry rock stars are able to survive and prosper amid such an abusive professional and personal lifestyle (read: Keith Richards), with most buckling pathetically beneath the resultant pressures of their own attention-seeking actions.
Rockstar Games Offers Grand Theft Auto 2 For Free
Rockstar wants to school you on some of GTA's early roots with a free PC download. Rockstar Games has added Grand Theft Auto 2 (GTA2) to its "Rockstar Classics Free Download Series." From Rockstar's web site: "GTA2 has been completely optimized for play on modern PCs and is available gratis for all registrants to the Rockstar Games mailing list (rest assured your information will not be shared with any third parties, you will only receive information from Rockstar). Simply fill out the form below and check your email for a direct link to the file (353 MB .zip file, includes install .exe, readme .txt file, and a .pdf of the original PC game manual)." Visit Rockstar Classics here to register for the free download of Grand Theft Auto 2. The original GTA, as well as Wild Metal, are also available.
GTA IV Trailer Coming Soon
To call the “Grand Theft Auto" game a popular franchise may be a bit of an understatement. The series' last major chapter, “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas", sold 12 million copies for the PlayStation 2 alone and the franchise as a whole has sold over 50 million units, making it one of the most successful video game series of all time. The series' next chapter, currently known by the placement title “Grand Theft Auto IV", is set for release on October 16, 2007 across North America and three days later for European gamers. Speculation as to what new features will be in GTA IV, its location, storyline and who among Hollywood's A-list will supply character voices have been running high while Rockstar Games, the developer of GTA, has kept silent – but things are about to change. The official website for “Grand Theft Auto IV" has been updated and a countdown clock added to the page to tick away the seconds until March 29.
Gaming Round Up for 2/8/07
D3Publisher of America has inked another deal with Cartoon Network in order to bring the action cartoon Ben 10 to video game format. Launching a little more than a year ago, the animated series debuted Ben Tennyson, who is not just a superhero, but 10 superheroes in one. Through an alien "wristwatch" device, Ben is able to transform into one of 10 alien being, each featuring their own distinctive superpowers. The series recently got a go-ahead from Cartoon Network to continue on to a fourth season on air. "Cartoon Network's Ben 10 has all the right ingredients for a successful game," said Careen Yapp, vice president of licensing and business development at D3PA. "Working with this strong franchise will give D3PA the opportunity to translate the smart and edgy action of the series into a fantastic game play experience for its large fanbase." The deal grants worldwide publishing rights to develop and publish console, handheld and PC games based on the series.
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