G: Why do you think TSO will have such a huge female fan base?

CT: Online games do anyway. Generally much more so than standalone games. And I also think that thematically we’re just far more accessible. We’re just campier, and it’s like real-life fantasy and not so much the swords-and-tights fantasy. Everyone wants to try being someone else. We have tons of female people on the team, so we just have that perspective. It comes naturally.

G: How many females are on the production team?

CT: Our design team was two women and Will. Then most of our producers are women, kind of less so with the artists and programmers. Our latest revolt was when we were trying to create our characters and we were like, “I’m sorry, but there is not an outfit in here that I want to wear.” (laughs). I get that I can do the Peg Bundy thing but give me something cute!

So we all started bringing in things—tearing out stuff from magazines. We were driving the artists crazy. We were like, “see this hairstyle, see how her lighting is kind of subtle, but attractive. The artists just rolled their eyes saying, “Ok, fiiine”

G: That’s funny because when I went the game I was thinking of several friends of mine with the same hipster haircuts. Then I noticed some of the popular fashions from the summer were included and I was surprised to see that.

CT: We’re going to be dated in a year or so. (laughs)

G: Well, the game’s online, you can always throw in some new outfits.

CT: True. What’s your character like?

G: No, I always create a character like myself. Isn’t that weird?

CT: No, you have to try the Christopher Soprano. I’m telling you.

G: I’m going to try playing with a male character. I’m a brunette in real life and I wanted to test the “blondes have more fun” theory. So I created a blonde character with a little pink dress – the total opposite of me.

CT: Right. These guys are so funny. When they started, they created the Bada Bing nightclub. They said, “We need some strippers!” So they asked every girl who walked in, “Hey do you want to be stripper here?” Then the girls would take off. I was like, “Guys, we really need to work on our subtlety.” (laughs) If you’re going to convince someone to be a stripper in a club, you don’t just drop it as soon as they walk in the door.”

G: We were thinking of renaming our pad. Right now it’s called Moonbase Alpha, and we really don’t have a lot of people dropping by because we don’t really have much going on at our house. My roommates and I were saying “We’re just going to rename it Sex Palace.” It won’t be a sex palace but we’ll just name it that so people will stop by.

CT: Right. So people will show up anyway.

G: I went into Interhogan with another character and found a place called, “Everyone Gets Laid.” Everyone was popping by.

CT: No way! I’ve never heard of that place! It’s funny because tons of people are speculating how you can figure out what someone’s real gender is.

Will claims that his litmus test is to ask them about their favorite movie. He says if they say Titanic, they’re male for sure. If they say When Harry Met Sally, then OK, c’mon. Other people say if you hit on a woman, and she responds right away, she’s male.

G: That reminds me that I had to leave the Everyone Gets Laid house quickly because there was a really aggressive guy in there.

CT: That’s what I like about the control features. When you’re on your lot you can kick people out, you can ban them. I don’t know how many people look down at the ignore options. Even if you’re not on your lot you can ignore someone who is really obnoxious.

I was on this one lot one day that was so satisfying. It was 15 girls, and I think they were real girls, and they were all just talking like, “yeah you know girls rule the TSO world.” They were like, “this game is all about us.” Then they were all dressing up in costumes and dancing. Guys would come in and were timidly saying, “Hey can we join you?” They were joining the girls on their turf. They were so into it. It was so “Up with Girls.”

Stay tuned for Part II of our interview with Chris Trottier where she talks about Sims vs. Sims Online, virtual flirtation and Sesame Street. In the meantime, check out the latest screens for the upcoming Sims for PS2 and SimCity 4.