Microsoft received lots of criticism on social media after the company decided to hire female dancers in schoolgirl outfits for an Xbox party at last week’s Game Developers Conference. Xbox Head Phil Spencer came out and said the party did “not reflect the core values and beliefs of Xbox, where we believe in respect.”
The Wall Street Journal reported the party took place before the event started last Thursday in San Francisco right after having a networking luncheon for women in the industry.
Phil Spencer also posted an e-mail he sent to all employees regarding the matter. The e-mail stated..
“It has come to my attention that at Xbox-hosted events at GDC this past week, we represented Xbox and Microsoft in a way that was absolutely not consistent or aligned to our values. That was unequivocally wrong and will not be tolerated. This matter is being handled internally, but let me be very clear – how we represent ourselves as individuals, who we hire and partner with and how we engage with others is a direct reflection of our brand and what we stand for. When we do the opposite, and create an environment that alienates or offends any group, we justly deserve the criticism.”
