Absolute Tara: According to Wikipedia, "Trixie" is a derogatory term for a young, white, urban woman in her late 20's or 30's. What is the story behind that famous persona?
TriXie: The story is that when I started doing the Gamer Spotlight I didn't want to use my real name, and I also didn't want to make my gamertag public. So I needed a nom de web. I wanted a name with an X in it for Xbox. JinX was my second choice, but that was Halle Berry's character in Die Another Day. I though TriXie had the X, and was cute, but a little stripper-ish. I have since come to find out that not only is it a name popular with strippers and cartoon characters (Speed Racer and Fairly Oddparents), it is also a common appellation for little yippy dogs.
Absolute Tara: So you're not a stripper or social-ladder climbing female...Just don't go around dancing to "Pour Some Sugar On Me". Strippers love that song. There are rumors that you have a really messy desk. Is it true? Why don't you send your minions to clean it up?
TriXie: My desk is awful. I'm working in about 2 square feet of desk space as I write this. Next to me is a pile of un-submitted expense reports, various lotions and lip glosses, printouts of mockups for the recent site redesign, a barrette, business cards, loose change, a couple bracelets, and a petrified yellow gummy bear. The floor is even worse. My minion KP is not allowed to touch my stuff...although I doubt I'd notice if he did.
Absolute Tara: That sounds a little scary. Great job on the new site redesign by the way. Everyone knows that you're an Xbox Live Arcade addict. What's your current favorite?
TriXie: It's STILL Zuma. I beat it for the 24th time this weekend. My second favorite XBLA game is Boom-Boom Rocket, followed by Luxor 2.
Absolute Tara: I lost my Zuma save switching hard drives. I haven't been back to finish it out yet...It's just too daunting to think about doing it all over again. I haven't got TriXie-Zuma-Skills. What do you have to say to chumps that criticize you about not playing so-called "real games"?
TriXie: I say reality is in the eye of the beholder. Just because I don't like to shoot stuff and racing games make me puke doesn't mean I don't get my game on. And for those who say spitting colored marbles from a frog's mouth isn't manly...you're right. I am not a man, nor have I ever been one.
Absolute Tara: I still think Zuma is way harder than any other game out there. I've beaten Gears of War three times and Zuma...never! What's the best part of working for the company that produces the best gaming console out there?
TriXie: The best part is working with incredibly intelligent type-A overachievers who are passionate about games. They might not have the highest gamerscores, but here's a secret: those with high gamerscores are playing at work. I'm WORKING at work.
Absolute Tara: Being a gamerscore-whore does take a time commitment that many people don't have. And if you had high gamerscores, you'd probably just get accused of cheating! I know you're an avid reader...What are your current favorite books?
TriXie: Let's see, I just read Michael Chabon's new one "The Yiddish Policeman's Union." He's a freaking brilliant writer. If you haven't read "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" you must do so immediately. I'm also a HUGE fan of Haruki Murakami, and just read his new one "After Dark." It was good but not amazing like "Kaftka on the Shore" or "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles." I just picked up the new Richard K Morgan book "Th1rte3n" this weekend. His novel "Altered Carbon" is so great, it's a noir detective novel set in the future and man, it just ROCKS. So I'm interested to see how his new detective character compares with Takeshi Kovacs. That was probably more than you wanted, huh?
Absolute Tara: Keep em coming. I have summer break from school in about 3 weeks. That's the only time I get to read much. Should we ever expect to see a book from you? Confessions of an Xbox Community Editor?
TriXie: Yes, one day after all the guilty parties have left Microsoft or died you will see a scandalous tell-all. It'd be cool as a graphic novel. I think.
Absolute Tara: I can't wait. Maybe we'll even get a TriXie arcade game to order around minions, interview gamers, and party with Major Nelson to accompany the novel. So what do you think of the Wii? Is the hype going to settle down? Or has Nintendo added a new element to gaming that will have some longevity?
TriXie: I like the Wii. Like many people I was super stoked about it when I first got it and went a little nuts buying new games for it. But alas, my ardor has cooled, and some of those games are still waiting to have their shrink-wrap removed. I still think it's a great little machine though. It was hot while it lasted, but I'm very fickle. ;)
Absolute Tara: Agreed. I waited in line on launch day and now it barely gets played. I want to like it more, but it's just not Xbox. GamerchiX has definitely been taking off. How has the last year been being our fearless leader?
TriXie: The last year has been so profoundly amazing. Every time I think we've reached saturation point with GamerchiX (i.e. everyone who could possibly be a member already is one), I get another 100 new members. We grew by nearly 300 girls just in June! So the response has been terrific. But the best part is the girls themselves. It's hard to believe we can have so many women in one place and so little drama. Part of what inspired Diva and Kitty and I to start this girls-only club was that girls were pissing us off with their cat fighting and attention-whoring - it was making the whole gender look bad! We wanted to combat that, which is why two of the tenets of the "manifesta" are "GamerchiX are not pin-ups" and "GamerchiX don't talk trash about other women. Ever." And the members of GamerchiX have really taken that to heart. I have never before encountered such friendly, supportive, thoughtful and fun women. Plus they're so creative. One of the girls keeps track of members' location on a spreadsheet, another started a t-shirt store for us, and others organize tutoring sessions in certain games. There's just so much talent and good will and...okay I'll stop. Seriously they are the greatest girls ever. They honestly renew my faith in the human race.
Absolute Tara: GamerchiX is teh Awes0me! It definitely catapulted me from playing single-player only to playing over Xbox LIVE. But there's still a lot of GamerchiX haters. What's your take on them?
TriXie: I think they're stupid whiney diaper-babies. ;) Anyone who hates GamerchiX doesn't understand what we're about. But you know, we're not in this to prove anything or get attention. GamerchiX works for us, so I'm not concerned with what the haters think.
Absolute Tara: Good take. It's still frustrating having people trash something that has been so positive. In addition to GamerchiX, there are all sorts of gaming communities tailored to specific groups like Gaming Angels, or 2old2play. Will we ever just be able to play together without segregating ourselves online?
TriXie: I don't see anything wrong with creating groups and clans and communities. There are six million people on Xbox LIVE. And it is human nature to divide itself into groups. It's not about segregation or xenophobia or elitism, it's just hard-wired into the human animal. The anthropologist Robin Dunbar claimed that 150 was the natural group size for primates. I don't think like-minded people grouping off and forming tight-knit communities is a bad thing at all. Check out this article on the Monkeysphere, it's pretty relevant for Xbox LIVE.
Absolute Tara: Xbox LIVE is without a doubt, what you make of it. I know you probably can't tell me this...but when are they going to come out with a Zune that's not ginormous?
TriXie: I kinda like my big pink brick. But when/if they come out with a more petite model I will probably grab one of those as well.
Absolute Tara: As soon as they do, I'll jump on the Zune train. Okay. Now I'm going to steal one of your questions. Desert Island. Who's it gonna be?
TriXie: If I could build my own Frankendude, it would have Carl Sagan's brain in Mark Wahlberg's body. If I've got to pick an off the rack desert isle companion, I'd go with Daniel Craig. Or maybe Clive Owen. One of those hawt limey tough guys.
Absolute Tara: Clive Owen. Yum. Almighty Dean0, my real-life, off-the-rack yummy hubby, wants me to ask you if there's something secret going on between you and Major Nelson.
TriXie: Yes. The secret is that I'm his illegitimate cousin twice removed. I got the brains and he got the looks ;)
Absolute Tara: There we have it. We know the secret of the very clever and beautiful TriXie and the dashing Major Nelson.
A big thanks goes out to TriXie for taking some time out of her uber-busy day to answer my questions in her limited desk space. I know everyone can't wait to hear what she has to bring us from E3 just around the corner.
For a look at Trixie's interview with 2old2play, head on over to Xbox.com and check out this link
