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The Nomination Email
Hi TriXie,
I would like to see my friend Vision2279 in the spotlight. He’s one of the best Elite H20 Boys of PMS Clan in theTom Clancy's Ghost Recon™ 2 Division. He's a very dedicated gamer that plays on matches for hours on a daily basis. He also plays on his top-of-the-line PC FPS games such asHalo, Half Life 2, etc. online. Add to that, he's also one of the PMS forum admins assisting with their new site. Please consider this techie gamer for an interview. Pretty please … Please!
Sincerely, Jacki
Gamer Spotlight:
TriXie Interviews Vision2279
TriXie: What’s the story behind your Gamertag?
Vision2279: No big story here. First, I thought the name "Vision" just sounded cool in general. Second, I tend to have deja vu a lot … whoa! Was that the same black cat? The number part at the end came because someone else grabbed Vision before I could.
TriXie: Where do you live and what do you do?
Vision2279: Currently, I live in Appleton, Wis. I am a technical architect for a paper mill. Basically, that’s just a fancy name for a computer engineer. Yes, this mill does produce paper that the government uses to create money, amongst other things. I am also pursing my bachelor’s degree in information technology through Capella University.
TriXie: Your plate is full! What’s the worst or weirdest job you’ve ever had?
Vision2279: The worst job I ever had was landscaping when I was 14. One particular job that stands out was when a lady decided to cover the side of a hill with wood chips that led all the way down to the lake. She decided she wanted it all cleaned out. I swear she had a foot-deep worth of wood chips all the way down the hill. I hated that job.
TriXie: Splinter city. How long have you been on Xbox Live™?
Vision2279: Overall, I’ve been on XboxLive for about a year and a half. I started up again back in October of 2004. Prior to that, I was under a different Gamertag, Drakor, back in 2003. After having that for a year, I discontinued my account because my roommate at the time decided that he wasn’t going to let me play my Xbox®. My own Xbox! He “decided” to move out a couple months later … after some convincing on my part.
TriXie: Well, it’s good to have you back. Do you have an arch enemy on Xbox Live?
Vision2279: Nemesis, perhaps, but I wouldn’t say enemy. That guy would be BCA. We play together quite a bit and are always throwing quick-witted remarks at one another. Had to TK him a couple of times for some of the comments he made. Isn’t that right, BCA? He’s a good guy, though, so I wouldn’t call him an enemy.
TriXie: How many hours do you spend playing on Xbox Live?
Vision2279: It varies from week to week, depending on homework, regular work, and Web site development work that I’m helping the PMS Clan with. I’d say, at minimum, I get at least 10 hours a week. The maximum I’ve hit would probably be around 30 to 40 hours.
TriXie: How does your girl handle your gaming habit?
Vision2279: I’d say she is very understanding about it, as she is an avid gamer herself. That’s just part of what makes her such an awesome woman.
TriXie: You lucked out. Tell us about your Xbox setup.
Vision2279: Well, it’s not as grand as I’d prefer it to be—just one of the disadvantages to living in an apartment building, I guess. I currently have a 32-inch Sanyo TV and a Kenwood 300W surround sound system. Of course, I have the advanced AV pack, so I can make use of the optical capabilities as well as S-Video capabilities. It also helps for those live broadcasts to the Internet that I do from time to time.
TriXie: What’s your favorite Xbox Livefeature?
Vision2279: I’d say the best feature is the voice capability that’s been implemented. Prior to this, I was a hardcore PC gamer, and the one thing PC games always lacked was the ability to talk to one another using something like GameVoice or a hosted service without sacrificing a large amount of bandwidth and voice quality. Xbox Live has managed to implement good, quality voice communication without sucking up bandwidth.
TriXie: You’re welcome. It was all me. What future Xbox Live-enabled game are you looking forward to?
TriXie: What do you think is the best game of all time?
Vision2279: On this one, I would have to say, hands down, the DOOM series for PC. DOOM was the first game to really get me hooked to playing online with others. Granted, this started as miniature LAN fests, but nonetheless, it started the addiction.
TriXie: What do you think is the best film of all time?
Vision2279: Best film of all time would have to be Office Space. “I said no salt, no salt, but there were these huge grains of salt!”
TriXie: I believe you have my stapler. What do you think is the best album of all time?
Vision2279: Pink Floyd's The Wall. It’s one I continue to find myself going back to listen to over and over again. Great album! Green Day’s American Idiot is awesome for newer stuff.
TriXie: What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever heard on Xbox Live?
Vision2279: I was in a room playing Neutral Bomb on Midship, and some kid who sounded like he was whiter then Casper the Ghost called me a cracker. That and his wannabe tough guy attitude was just hilarious. You had to be there. I couldn’t even concentrate on the game I was laughing so hard at him.
TriXie: How about your greatest Xbox Livemoment?
Vision2279: Hmmm, that’s a hard one to call. The best one would’ve been when I scored my first confirmed kill on Athena PMS in Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® 3 Black Arrow™. When I first started playingBlack Arrow, she was kind enough to take me under her wing and show me the ropes, since I entered into that game about two months before Halo® 2 came out. I was behind the eight ball on that one. So, being able to kill my mentor was a big step for me. Thanks again, Athena! Check out her clan at http://www.pmsclan.com -a lot of great girl gamers over there.
TriXie: Sure are. You can check out my interview with Athena and Athena Twin here. What is a TV show that you never miss?
Vision2279: Well it used to be Law and Order, but since it’s on all the time, I tend to miss an episode or two nowadays. The one I never miss is The Sopranos. Awesome show, if you haven’t seen it. Downfall: The new season doesn’t come out until 2006, so it’s reruns until then.
TriXie: I have a kinda sick thing for Tony Soprano. It’s the nastiest crush I’ve had since Captain Hook. Anyway, back to you. Who’s your inner rock star?
Vision2279: Well, while he may not be a rock star yet, I would have to say Brian from 88 MPH. He’s a very talented drummer with a lot of motivation.
TriXie: If they made a movie about your life, who should play you?
Vision2279: I would have to say Michael Imperioli, who plays Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos. He’s a really good actor in my opinion.
TriXie: I loved him as Spider inGoodFellas. What’s your karaoke song?
Vision2279: “Jump, Jive, 'n' Wail” definitely tops the charts on that one. “Summer of ’69” is a very close second place.
TriXie: What cartoon character do you think is most like you?
Vision2279: Sending me back to early childhood here … I’d have to say Marvin the Martian. Lots of good techie skills, but usually forgets a minor detail that results in his laser beam firing back on him.
TriXie: Owie. What super power would you like to have?
Vision2279: The power to speed up or slow down time as I wish. Work would go faster, game times would last longer, and I’d still have plenty of quality time with the girlfriend. Love ya, sweetie! You know who you are.
TriXie: Oh, get a room. If you could trade places with anyone for one day, who would it be?
Vision2279: Bill Gates. Then, I could get all the software and games I wanted, without paying big bucks for it.
TriXie: What celebrity would be the worst roommate?
Vision2279: While they may all look kind and caring on TV, you know the behind the scenes, the majority are all pretty stuck up. Look at Randy Moss. I mean, come on, it’s not like you can’t afford it.
TriXie: Who’s your favorite superhero?
Vision2279: Wolverine. Having those claws would simply be awesome.
TriXie: Cameron Diaz, Angelina Jolie or Halle Berry?
Vision2279: Angelina Jolie from the movie Hackers. Gotta love a girl who knows her computers.
TriXie: Who’s cooler: Sam Fisher, Leisure Suit Larry, or Master Chief?
Vision2279: Leisure Suit Larry because no matter how many times he gets rejected, he still gets lucky every once in a while.
TriXie: Hey, if they didn’t have persistence going for them, geeks would never get any. They just wear you down. What’s the worst food you’ve ever eaten?
Vision2279: Indian food. Very, very, very bland. There is not enough salt or pepper or sauces in the world to spice that stuff up.
TriXie: I think maybe Indian food is different in Wisconsin. What’s a book you wish you’d written?
Vision2279:The Hobbit. It’s very creative and well-written. It’s a book one could easily escape into.
TriXie: Wha? Oh, sorry, were you talking to me? If you could go on tour with any band, which would it be?
Vision2279: Definitely Green Day. Nothing better then getting to listen to awesome music, hang with the band, and see different places.
TriXie: And Billy Joe. What do you predict will be the “next big thing” in gaming?
Vision2279: Hopefully true virtual-reality suits or platforms of some sort that get you completely immersed in the game.
TriXie: What are you hoping for in the next Xbox console?
Vision2279: Hopefully they’ll have implemented a 10/100Mbps and 1Gbps capable network card for faster access through the LAN out to the Internet. Hopefully I'll be upgraded to a T1 line by that point.
TriXie: Uh … What would you like to be doing in 10 years?
Vision2279: Still gaming it up with the friends, married, with an awesome job that somehow ties in with gaming. Thanks for the interview, TriXie!
