Girl Gamer

GG-CrixLee Meets Trixie360

By GG-CrixLee 5 months, 4 weeks ago • 2 Comments

SO…back in November, I was fortunate enough to be selected to join the fraternity known as Xbox Gamer Spotlight and as per tradition since 2003, I was interviewed by the one and only Trixie360. 2 months and a 24 hour Xbox suspension later (yep. the week after I was in Gamer Spotlight, I got a 24 suspension for having the word “S**t” in my bio. LOLZ), it’s time for me to interro- I mean, “interview” my dear friend for some revenge…did I say 'revenge’? I mean, 'catch up’. heh heh.

GAME ON!

Without giving away your age, what was yer first Console?

– Atari Video Pinball C-380 with the wood grain.

First Game Ever Played

– Breakout

Favorite classic game

– Pitfall!

Favorite current game

-I know everyone expects me to say “Zuma Deluxe” but I’ve found that I’ve kinda lost my Zuma mojo since unleashing BabyTrixie. On Xbox I love 1 v 100 and Guitar Hero Van Halen. My family also really likes playing Monopoly, Scene It and LIPS together. On the PC I consume a large quantity of hidden object games; my favorites are Puppetshow: Mystery of Joyville, the Samantha Swift series, and 1001 Nights: The Adventures of Sinbad.

How did you get your start before Xbox?

-I got into the games industry in this way: I was working on my college newspaper and saw a writing/editing job for a company that was just down the street from school. They were looking for a writer with an edgy style. I sent in my snarkiest samples and was soon hired as a part-time Assistant Editor at Sierra On-Line’s InterAction magazine. Before long I was writing cover stories and had dropped out of college to work full-time. I went from writing for the magazine to writing packaging and advertising.

How’d ya get your job at Xbox and how long have you been there?

-A friend of mine from Sierra came over to Xbox back when we were all saying “Microsoft is gonna make a game console? WTF”. She called me up one day and told me about a job opening for a technical writer. I started off as a contractor and was hired as a full time Microsoft employee a few months later. It’ll be 8 years this month!

How did you come up with your Gamertag?

-I chose “TriXie” as my nom de plume back in 2003 when I started the Gamer Spotlight. I had a different gamertag at the time. When we were about to launch Xbox 360 in 2005 I combined my pen name with 360 and viola – trixie360.

What’s the hardest part about choosing someone for Gamer Spotlight?

-First off, I learned the hard way that what may be a funny gamertag to me, is offensive to others – even if it doesn’t technically violate the Code of Conduct. Secondly –and this really annoys me—if I put ‘too many’ women in the spotlight I get hate mail. I can interview 30 dudes in a row and I don’t hear a peep from the community. But more than a girl a month and suddenly I’m a femi-nazi. LoL

Best VideoGame adapted film

-None of them

Worst VG adapted film

-All of them.

Best film based around a fake videogame/or best fake game in a film

-Does “Wargames” count? (ABSOLUTELY -C)

Are your kids gamers? if so, what’s the reaction when their friends find out/realize who you are?

-My son is a hardcore gamer… and now game journalist too. He writes for Platform Nation and Capsule Computers. My older daughter is a sporadic gamer. She’s 14 and most of her energy goes to girly drama and texting. The baby likes to watch me rock out on Guitar Hero. The reaction from their friends is pretty cool. My daughter was wearing my team sweatshirt to junior high and some kid couldn’t understand where she could have gotten trixie360’s shirt. My son’s friend called him to say he’d seen an article mentioning me on Kotaku, etc. They get the biggest kick out of it when I get recognized in public though.

Dream game that hasn’t been made yet.

-Sandman!

Dream cast for said game

-Not sure on the others, but I want to voice Delirium

Do you now or did you ever heart jake ryan?

-I absolutely hearted Jake Ryan. His hawtness holds up too: in that he’s still hot in 16 Candles.

Funniest thing about Major Nelson…

-He taught his dog Emerson to do a ‘Family Feud’ trick. She pushes a buzzer when he goes “Survey says!”

Who or what inspires you?

-Christiane Amanpour is a hero to me. In gaming and community I very much admire Morgan Romine. In writing, I would sell my soul for talent like Michael Chabon or Neil Gaiman.

Biggest guilty pleasure game

-I used to feel guilty for playing ‘casual’ games instead of hardcore shooters, but I don’t anymore. I’m a hardcore player of casual games and proud of it!

Best Game Ever

-Guitar Hero 2

Worst Game Ever

-Super Monkey Ball (it makes me hurl)

If your daughters wanted to follow in your footsteps, what’s the one piece of advice you would give them?

-If they wanted to follow me into writing I would tell them to read as much as they can. I would advise against writing classes as I think they can destroy your unique style and ‘voice’. If they wanted to go into the games industry I would encourage them to learn programming. If you can code, you will always have a job.

And, even though you didn’t ask, I would like to spew some generic advice for chicks from an old broad:

1) As Lady Gaga says “Can’t sleep with a man who dims my shine”. Don’t ever be with people who try to cut you down or diminish you.

2) Friends rally around you when you fail. TRUE friends show support when you’re successful too.

3) Don’t do the ‘chick thing’ and qualify your statements. Don’t say “I think” or “I’m not sure but..” Just put it out there, like a dude would.

I <3 Trixie360. She iz Epic Win