Ladies and gentlemen….introducing….the Killa!  U360 had the pleasure of getting the 411 on one of the community’s top rising stars.  He games, he posts, he blogs, and even takes time out to visit with nuns.

Join in and read with the rest of the world what the thrills are all about!

First things first, tell everyone a few things about the Killa.
 
My name is Michael and I’m 20 years old. I was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  Currently in New York City. After a small break and a brief move to Rhode Island and then returning back to NYC, I will be starting college this fall.
 
I run a blog named K1lla’s Xbox Domain which I interview game developers, Xbox community websites, and gamers who I feel the Xbox community should get to know.  I started my blog back in April.  With 21,000 visits from people all over the globe, I hope to keep it going strong.
 
Why choose Thrills Killa as your gamertag?
 
I created “Thrills Killa” mostly because of online multiplayer.  I play alot of Call of Duty 2 online and you have to do a lot of killing.  Well since COD2 involves “killing” and it’s thrilling to take down your opponent.  I put both things together and made Thrills Killa.
 
Ahhh interesting.  How long have you been gaming with Xbox/Xbox 360?
 
I bought my black Xbox back in the summer of 2002.  And I bought my Xbox 360 1 week after launch.  So I guess you can say I have been following the “Xbox” brand for about  4 years.
 
Wasn’t the original Xbox green?  It was dark enough, we’ll call it black.  How often do you game online or off?
 
On average, I say… I game about 2 to 3 hours nightly.

You have a site that has managed to produce some very interesting articles.  How did that come to be?
 
I wanted to start a gaming blog, but not talking about my gaming experiences.  As I thought one day back in March, it came to my mind…why not try to interview game developers!  So I started sending out e-mails to different companies and at first I was targeting the developers of the upcoming Xbox Live arcade games.  At first I thought I would get no response from anybody and even my friends thought I was a little nuts for thinking developers would want to be interviewed over a blog which is not even close to being as big as Joystiq.com or Kotaku.com.
 
Now I, as I type, am proud to say I have interviewed over 8 companies which are making great XBLA games like Cloning Clyde, Small Arms, Mad Tracks, Hoopworld, Roboblitz and more.  One cool moment was Editor-In-Chief of TeamXbox.com Rob Semsey sent me an email telling me how much he loved my blog and the great work I’m doing.  I’m glad people like it!
 
Impressive!  What’s been your most proud or biggest moment since starting?
 
It will definitely be having my blog mentioned by Major Nelson this past weekend on his podcast. Having Major Nelson put it in the category of good blogs that he has read felt very rewarding. I look up to that guy!
 
And second would be my interviews being featured on big sites like  Kotaku.com, Xboxic.com, xbox360fanboy.com, xbox360.qj.net, EvilAvatar.com. and foreign sites!
 
Ultimately, what are you looking to accomplish with it?
 
I am hoping to recruit and manage an “Xbox fans Cult”….Just Kidding. There’s no goal.  It’s just something I enjoy doing.
 
Any must-have titles you’re looking to get your hands on?
 
I want Gears of War, Crackdown, Halo 3 and Small Arms for the Xbox Live Arcade. And my soft side wants Viva Pinata.
 
Pinatas are fun to bang with sticks.  I’m not sure how the game will translate that.  What are you finding yourself playing the most now?
 
2006 Fifa World Cup! Before this summer I was not a “Futbol” fan, but I enjoyed watching the World Cup and this game adds to the experience. I love it!
 
There’s been buzz about the Marketplace recently and the cost of content.  Your views?
 
Some of the content on the Marketplace is overpriced.  BUT these companies are out to make a buck.  That’s business for you.  I feel the best protest gamers can do against these companies is not to buy the content.  But most likely you’ll still see a lot of horsies wearing armor.
 
Do you think you could live without the Marketplace or is it really key to your 360 experience?
 
I need my demos, themes, pics, videos, and other goodies.  The Marketplace is a vital part of the Xbox 360.
 
Gamerscore or achievements? 
 
Gamerscore really doesn’t matter to me.  What adds alot of replay value to a game is the Achievement system.  Some people hate it…. I love it!  Kudos to Microsoft.
 
Your best moment so far with the 360?
 
When I opened up that box, it had that new system smell.  Then plugging it in, and seeing those 4 green lights rotate in a circle.  Seeing the graphics in wonderful High Def on my HDTV.  That’s when I knew this was special.
 
HD is a thing of beauty for sure!  Is there anything that would make you give up your 360?
 
The only way I would part with my xbox 360….would be if I had arthritis in my hands.
 
One shot. one game.  You against Bill Gates.  Who wins and what game are you playing?
 
I would win and the game would be “Dance Dance Revolution”.  Hopefully he would drop his American Express black card on the floor.
 
I was headed towards you thinking he would tire quicker.  You do a lot of community involvement, what’s next for Thrills Killa?
 
I’m going to try to keep giving the Xbox community all I have.  I will try to keep bringing you developer interviews, gamer spotlights, Xbox themed website spotlights, and much more.
 
Thanks Deacon.  Good luck with Unscripted 360 & podcast!

Thanks for the good luck Thrills.  Same to you and thanks for playing!