Microsoft Hires "Erotic Schoolgirls" at GDC Party

[IMPress Polly]

Well this happened (http://www.craveonline.com/entertainment/967223-microsoft-actually-erotic-schoolgirl-dancers-gdc-party) yesterday. The story is making the rounds over the Net, but especially in gaming and tech circles. For those too lazy to read, the bottom line is that Microsoft hired erotic dancers to perform at its GDC party. It's a story that feels right out of a bygone era featuring "booth babes" and whatnot. Things like this haven't been common among game companies in many years and in the broader spectrum of corporate America in at least a couple decades. What's even more striking about it is that Microsoft has, in recent years, taken to billing itself as an industry leader in inclusiveness. For example, they were hosting a Women in Games luncheon at the very same event, somehow not seeing the hypocrisy until other developers and gamers pointed it out to them.

Reaction in gaming circles has been swift, breaking down along the usual lines: NeoGAF unanimously condemns Microsoft's decision (http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1198445) like most of the real world that has heard the news, Microsoft themselves have apologized and promised it will not happen again, and meanwhile GamerGate unanimously defends the original decision anyway (https://m.reddit.com/r/KotakuInAction/comments/4azo8z/neogaf_triggered_by_the_microsoft_partys_erotic/) because they're GamerGate.

This is another example of why there are so few female game developers. It's hard for women to feel welcome in this kind of atmosphere.

[Peter1469]

That is crazy.

[Crepitus]

Well this happened (http://www.craveonline.com/entertainment/967223-microsoft-actually-erotic-schoolgirl-dancers-gdc-party) yesterday. The story is making the rounds over the Net, but especially in gaming and tech circles. For those too lazy to read, the bottom line is that Microsoft hired erotic dancers to perform at its GDC party. It's a story that feels right out of a bygone era featuring "booth babes" and whatnot. Things like this haven't been common among game companies in many years and in the broader spectrum of corporate America in at least a couple decades. What's even more striking about it is that Microsoft has, in recent years, taken to billing itself as an industry leader in inclusiveness. For example, they were hosting a Women in Games luncheon at the very same event, somehow not seeing the hypocrisy until other developers and gamers pointed it out to them.

Reaction in gaming circles has been swift, breaking down along the usual lines: NeoGAF unanimously condemns Microsoft's decision (http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1198445) like most of the real world that has heard the news, Microsoft themselves have apologized and promised it will not happen again, and meanwhile GamerGate unanimously defends the original decision (https://m.reddit.com/r/KotakuInAction/comments/4azo8z/neogaf_triggered_by_the_microsoft_partys_erotic/) because they're GamerGate.

This is another example of why there are so few female game developers. It's hard for women to feel welcome in this kind of atmosphere.

First, let me say I agree. Not appropriate behaviour for any kinda corporate event.

But, if it hasn't been the norm for a couple of decades how can it still be why there are so few female game developers?

[IMPress Polly]

Crepitus wrote:
But, if it hasn't been the norm for a couple of decades how can it still be why there are so few female game developers?

Well, a careful reading of my wording reveals first that I said it was "another example of why there are so few female game developers", not the only example. Careful reading also reveals that I said "this haven't been common among game companies in many years and in the broader spectrum of corporate America in at least a couple decades". The decline of this type of behavior in the gaming and tech businesses is a phenomenon only of the last decade.

There are countless reasons why female game developers compose such a small share of the total, ranging from heavily discriminatory hiring practices in the tech sector (whose workforce is 89% male at present and used to be even more lopsided than that) to the discriminatory funding practices of hedge funds (which, simply put, do not fund the efforts of female game developers unless they receive sexual services in exchange, which shuts most aspiring female developers out of the business and renders the rest dependent on crowdfunding for their projects) to sexual harassment at work being the rule rather than the exception for female employees in the tech sector to the prejudices of industry executives (almost all of whom are male) against the creation of games designed to cater to female audiences and more. The tradition of gaming conferences and events resembling the tone of Maxim magazine has traditionally been another factor that female developers complain makes them feel unwelcome as well.

However, the industry has been attempting to change its tune in recent years following a string of scandals and feminist critiques of the industry, to which end hiring of women has increased somewhat, female representation in video games has noticeably improved overall, and elements like "booth babes" at game conferences have fallen out of fashion and become less common, being broadly seen as residue of the more exclusionary past today. To these ends, there are more female gamers and more developers today than there have been in the past, believe it or not. But it's precisely that context that makes this new development stand out as a definite step backward, even for this very conservative industry.

[Crepitus]

Well, a careful reading of my wording reveals first that I said it was "another example of why there are so few female game developers", not the only example. Careful reading also reveals that I said "this haven't been common among game companies in many years and in the broader spectrum of corporate America in at least a couple decades". The decline of this type of behavior in the gaming and tech businesses is a phenomenon only of the last decade.

There are countless reasons why female game developers compose such a small share of the total, ranging from heavily discriminatory hiring practices in the tech sector (whose workforce is 89% male at present and used to be even more lopsided than that) to the discriminatory funding practices of hedge funds (which, simply put, do not fund the efforts of female game developers unless they receive sexual services in exchange, which shuts most aspiring female developers out of the business and renders the rest dependent on crowdfunding for their projects) to sexual harassment at work being the rule rather than the exception for female employees in the tech sector to the prejudices of industry executives (almost all of whom are male) against the creation of games designed to cater to female audiences and more. The tradition of gaming conferences and events resembling the tone of Maxim magazine has traditionally been another factor that female developers complain makes them feel unwelcome as well.

However, the industry has been attempting to change its tune in recent years following a string of scandals and feminist critiques of the industry, to which end hiring of women has increased somewhat, female representation in video games has noticeably improved overall, and elements like "booth babes" at game conferences have fallen out of fashion and become less common, being broadly seen as residue of the more exclusionary past today. To these ends, there are more female gamers and more developers today than there have been in the past, believe it or not. But it's precisely that context that makes this new development stand out as a definite step backward, even for this very conservative industry.
Next question: In your opinion do the "promotional models" at the auto show contribute to less females driving cars or working in the auto industry? How about alcoholic drinks? Pretty women are used to sell everything from soup to nuts.

[IMPress Polly]

Crepitus wrote:
Next question: In your opinion do the "promotional models" at the auto show contribute to less females driving cars or working in the auto industry? How about alcoholic drinks? Pretty women are used to sell everything from soup to nuts.

They absolutely create an atmosphere wherein cars, beer, and so forth are seen as masculine, and traditionally it has been the case that these things were afforded almost exclusively to men. Things changed only very slowly, over the course of generations. And even today, you may likewise notice that the cars women tend to own and the particular alcoholic beverages the average woman consumes the most still don't tend to be the ones that are routinely advertised with "promotional models". Same goes with food. What would you say the gender ratio among customers tends to be at say Carl's Jr. at any given time of day, for example? How many women read Sports Illustrated? Or for the ultimate illustration, how about pornography? Women don't spend nearly as much time consuming it as men do, and tend to consume material that doesn't get advertised broadly when they do. Why do you suppose that is? Could it be that sex is basically only marketed to men?

Sexing up the advertising tends to drive women away, even while it appeals to men because sex is basically only marketed to men. And it's worth adding that a lot of the changes you've seen in female consumption habits in recent years do seem related to corresponding decreases in sexualized content and advertising, at least in part. Take the percentage of women who watch the Super Bowl and follow professional football, for instance. Do you think that the decrease in "sexy" advertising and the different sorts of half-time shows and whatnot that have been brought to bare in recent years might have something to do with the fact that more women watch now? I do.

[Ethereal]

How horrible. I'm aghast.

:angry:

[Cletus]

Does anybody really care?