Phil Spencer Apologizes for Schoolgirl Dancers at Microsoft's GDC Party

Microsoft is taking heat for a party the company sponsored at this year's Game Developers Conference. Stop us if you've heard this one before: Big-name company hires scantily-clad women to fill its booths at conventions or, in this case, gyrate around at its parties (in schoolgirl outfits, no less). And this is the same Microsoft that sponsored a "Women in Gaming Luncheon" at GDC, even promoting feedback from former attendees like:

"This experience really opened my eyes to the joys of being a woman in gaming. So often social media explodes with negativity, but being with the actual developers in one big group showed me that the people who actually work on games do care and are very supportive. This was wonderful for me and really inspired me to stick with it," one woman wrote.

Go figure, some found Microsoft's juxtaposition a bit unsettling.

👎🏼Microsoft sponsors a Women in Games lunch and awards, but then has scantily clad women dancers at their GDC party. NVIDIA does similar. 👎🏼

— Lauren Clinnick✨GDC (@laurclinn) March 18, 2016

Making a formal complaint tomorrow. I will not stand for this. I'm trying to encourage women into the industry then this happens.

— Kamina Vincent (@spamoir) March 18, 2016

Say @Xbox, does the $ for your Women In Games Lunch come from the same fund you use to hire women dancing in their undies at your GDC party?

— Leena (@LeenaVanD) March 18, 2016

Microsoft executives have since responded publicly about the after-party:

"At Xbox-hosted events at GDC this past week, we represented Xbox and Microsoft in a way that was not consistent or aligned to our values.It was unequivocally wrong and will not be tolerated. I know we disappointed many people and I'm personally committed to holding ourselves to higher standards. We must ensure that diversity and inclusion are central to our everyday business and core values. We will do better in the future," said Phil Spencer, head of the company's Xbox division, in a statement.

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Spencer also sent out an email to his Xbox team today, elaborating on Microsoft's positions regarding diversity and, again, expressing regret for the content of the company's GDC party.

"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," the email reads, as reported by The Verge.

Party image courtesy of Kamina Vincent