Microsoft is currently using its Halo franchise management team as a shining example of diversity in the workforce. This is part of The 'Soft's "You At Microsoft" recruitment campaign. After what must have been hours upon hours of searching, Microsoft managed to locate a woman that worked in the company, and she had this to say:
"Game development is hard."
Keep rockin' it, sister! If you want to work in a diverse environment, Microsoft and its women are the people to call. You too could be a woman, if you only put your mind to it.
Seriously though, I absolutely detest these "look how diverse we are" campaigns, because I really don't think it should matter if your company has more Indian people than American people in it. It's really not impressive to hire a bunch of black people or women and then dance around expecting a hearty pat on the back for being so progressive. It's as backwards as choosing to hire none at all, and about twice as cynical.
However, it is the fact that Microsoft couldn't even find one black woman that makes me laugh my arse off.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
1:05 PM on 06.02.2008
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What's your next lie; there are, in fact, women on the internet?
THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!
(Sorry, couldn't help myself)
I'm looking forward to this one being explained.
And by the way, nice of you to respond to this comment, now would you go back to the last MGS4 post you made and correct the 90-minute cutscene assertion that was debunked by both a play tester @ GAF (TTP) and by GamePro?
It makes perfect sense if you get that the last line was a JOKE! It was like, "Microsoft is doing this cynical thing, but can't even do THAT right." Please appreciate the context.
Oh and okay I will go and remove that line from the article THNX!
Funcom can confirm that some of the female models in the game have had the size of their breasts changed. This is due to an unintended change in data that was introduced in an earlier patch, data which controls the so-called morph values associated with character models and the size of their respective body parts. We are working on a fix for this and your breasts should be back to normal soon.
Soon people...soon all will be right with the world again.
That is, when there isn't much diversity, minorities find it harder to work their ways into the socializing and networking opportunities that non-minorities take for granted. When the number of minorities reaches some critical mass, however, the majority population is less tempted to fall back into a default comfort zone and therefore opportunities are more likely to be distributed equally.
It's a little more complex than a feel-good checkbox. People can debate whether it actually works or not, but it's good to get the rationale right first.
Also, I don't recall ever seeing a single black person employed by Microsoft. Seriously. Never noticed it before.
Its more likely than you think
Games development is also, what, ten-fifteen years (in terms of big scale development) old? It started out being done by geeky white men - and that trend continues. It's evening out, yes, and that will take time.
At my current job, there are women in HR, Coding, Art, Design, Production, and QA. Not as many as men, but they're there.
I feel sorry for the guy that had to write that sentence.
dont be silly of course there are women on the internet. There isnt just shemale porn on the net you know.
oh does anyone know how to delete an old comment some guy e-mailed me bout ruining the ending to patapon as i messed up SPOILER sign.
If your talented employees are minorities and they leave at higher rates because of a perceived barrier to advancement, you must replace them with a less-qualified worker that you passed over the first time.
In that event, you might end up being forced to hire a nonminority to fill the vacancy who is less qualified than the one who left (if he/she were more qualified, you would have hired him/her in the first place). The knife cuts both ways.
Anyways, Affirmative Action and initiatives like it have always struck me as reverse racism and therefore totally useless. But I'm a white male in America, who cares what I have to say?
'I R SAMRT!'