VIDEO.DESTRUCTOID   |   JAPANATOR   |   TOMOPOP
Destructoid is obsessive about gaming news.
Home #Also, bewbs


Marvel at Microsoft's diverse workforce: It has a woman in it! photo

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.


Continue reading: More Also, bewbs stories





32 comments | showing # 1 to 32
prev next

notdryad's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 13:03
notdryad
This article is a farce; all women hate videogames. You almost had me, Jim Sterling.

What's your next lie; there are, in fact, women on the internet?
bcrt2000's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 13:05
bcrt2000
You just contradicted yourself in the same news post. Bravo, Jim! Bravo.
FreedomToast's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 13:05
FreedomToast
if all these woman are making video games, whose making my dinner?
Merry Ho's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 13:05
Merry Ho
"Game development is hard."...

THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!

(Sorry, couldn't help myself)
Jim Sterling's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 13:08
Jim Sterling
"You just contradicted yourself in the same news post. Bravo, Jim! Bravo."

I'm looking forward to this one being explained.
F Whipple's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 13:12
F Whipple
Damnit, freedomtoast beat me to the kitchen/dinner jokes
bcrt2000's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 13:13
bcrt2000
You detest the "look how diverse we are" campaigns yet you point out that they didn't have a black woman. You can't have your cake and eat it too... either you hate them for the campaign, or you hate them for not having a black woman-- don't do BOTH because it doesn't make sense.

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?
Jim Sterling's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 13:18
Jim Sterling
"You detest the "look how diverse we are" campaigns yet you point out that they didn't have a black woman. You can't have your cake and eat it too... either you hate them for the campaign, or you hate them for not having a black woman-- don't do BOTH because it doesn't make sense."

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!
Holiday's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 13:19
Holiday
Meanwhile over at Age Of Conan many players have recently logged in to discover the breast size of their female avatars have been reduced!!! Some have dropped a full two cup sizes! Hysteria ensues, players rant on forums and now Funcom's assures...

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.
Chocobo Knight's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 13:25
Chocobo Knight
*facepalms*
Big Z's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 13:25
Big Z
Doesn't it defeat the point of being diverse if you have to force diversity? Personally I believe in getting the best man for the job, and that ideal is compromised when you have a veritable shopping list of races and sexes you need to fill to reach some kind of quota.
Misanthrope's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 13:54
Misanthrope
Microsoft specifically requires the call centers that will give customer support for them to have a minimum quota of women.
MaxVest's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 14:01
MaxVest
The merits of diversity initiatives can certainly be debated, but I think people who support them subscribe to the critical mass theory.

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.
Syn's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 14:07
Syn
@Holiday: so you're saying that MEN have complained about the size of their BREASTS being reduced? Thats hilarious. Why do guys insist on playing women..it's kinda creepy
Sharpless's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 14:08
Sharpless
Dude, you're completely missing the point: Her name is "Kiki Wolfkill." KIKI WOLFKILL. Shit, son. Wolfkill. Damn. I will marry her and take her name.

Also, I don't recall ever seeing a single black person employed by Microsoft. Seriously. Never noticed it before.
exodus1925's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 14:20
exodus1925
amen
DirtyDiva's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 14:45
DirtyDiva
O.o Hmmmm
king3vbo's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 14:49
king3vbo
Women? IN MY GAME DEVELOPMENT STUDIOS?

Its more likely than you think
ChrisFurniss's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 14:58
ChrisFurniss
I am currently working at MGS, and I must say that I was surprised to see the majority of people working on my team (and even on my floor) are women. There's definitely diversity here, but stuff like this just feels lame. Who cares, man.
Blackhat's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 15:35
Blackhat
I've worked at EA (Blackbox), and there are very few women. But then I've worked at a few places in the industry, and women are a minority.

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.
Jadart's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 15:51
Jadart
They have to do all this stuff so some nut doesn't say they are a sexist company because no women work there. Same crap all large companies have to deal with.
Volomon's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 16:00
Volomon
I think its when you hire with diversity in mind rather than talent that brings everything crumbling down. I've seen it so many times and no ones caught on yet.
Justin Villasenor's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 17:20
Justin Villasenor
"We are working on a fix for this and your breasts should be back to normal soon."

I feel sorry for the guy that had to write that sentence.
Samit Sarkar's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 17:37
Samit Sarkar
Jim gets +10 innernets for the Blazing Saddles reference.
Murumasa123's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 17:47
Murumasa123
Notdryad
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.
wardrox's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 18:20
wardrox
womens? where?
MaxVest's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 18:31
MaxVest
The argument for merit alone doesn't work out as well as you might think. A large benefit to companies is retention. It's not all PR.

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.
DaedHead8's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 19:23
DaedHead8
Blazing Saddles! Hooray!

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?
spittinvenom's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/02/2008 20:25
spittinvenom
The fact that you gave this attention (and blog space) is both hilarious and ironic.

'I R SAMRT!'
mistic's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/03/2008 02:08
mistic
the only women in our it-department are assistants sadly enough...
Hitogoroshi's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/03/2008 10:22
Hitogoroshi
Necros won the thread a long time ago. Why are you guys still posting?
prev next

Comment with Facebook





Click connect and comment instantly!

Comment with Dtoid





New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds

Comments policy

Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?

Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!

 



see all
Splinter Cell: Conviction - GameStop Promo
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle - Euro
EVE Online: Tryannis
Majin & The Forsaken Kingdom
Naughty Bear - Aliens Spoof
Transformers War For Cybertron: Matt Tieger
Need For Speed World: Marc De Vellis
Fullmetal Alchemist: To the Promised Day
Destructoid 4th Anniversary Party
Try our new video site: vToid.com





Heavy Rain Chronicles, Chapter 1: The Taxidermist
by Samit Sarkar
Final Fantasy XIII
Pokemon HeartGold / SoulSilver
Calling
Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing
God of War III
Mega Man 10
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Review Recap: February 2010



Why you need to be excited about SpyParty
by Anthony Burch
Plain Sight
Need for Speed World: Race
A mindbending with Poto & Cabenga
Pocket Creatures
Easy Piano
inXile's Hunted
Resident Evil : Zombie Infection (iPhone)
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Frobot




Call for entries

New posts Expand all

New to the c-blogs? Read the survival guide
- The Dtoid Army is 60594 strong -







What classic IP should Sega resurrect?
The hidden truth behind game reviews
Counterpoint: God of War III is too long, boring
The joys of being a videogame reviewer
Gather around old man Niero: Destructoid turns four
The most immature thing we've ever done: The Name Game
Get me results: How to solve the JRPG Grind






tips@destructoid.com
Nick Chester
Editor-in-Chief
Niero
Founder, El Jefe
Jim Sterling
Reviews Editor
Hamza Aziz
Community Manager
Dale North
News Editor
Rey Gutierrez
Destructoid Video EIC
Anthony Burch
Features Editor
Brad Nicholson
Managing Editor
Tom Fronczak Colette Bennett
Ashley Davis Ben Perlee
Conrad
Zimmerman
Chad Concelmo
Jonathan Holmes Jonathan Ross
Brad Rice Jordan Devore
Joseph Leray Matthew Razak
Josh Tolentino
Samit Sarkar
Hollie Bennett Daniel Lingen
Mikey Turvey
   








 
 
  get involved

register or login
post a blog
post a forum
enter a contest
contribute a news tip
suggest a feature
be a guest editor
support

new member's guide
login assistance
tech support
report abuse
email our editors
read our dev blog
nuclear crisis?
keep in touch

RSS feed
Twitter
Facebook
Myspace
Flickr
Game nights
Meetup+play online
seriously

about Destructoid
advertising
terms of use
privacy policy
jobs at MM
buy our crap
our network

Tomopop
Japanator
Despingation?




Destructoid is an independently-run publication forged by our love of video games and the gaming community's need of accountable enthusiast press
living the dream since March 16, 2006