They were dancing on podiums. (Deleted originals to blur faces of the dancers) pic.twitter.com/pG1BxmtbnO — Kamina Vincent (@spamoir) March 18, 2016

Gaming industry parties and events used to be dominated with scantily clad models, nearly all of which were female, to promote games and get attendees' attention. Thanks to criticism and larger conversations about gender parity in the industry, that trend has since plummeted in the West. And all of that made a single exception at this year's Game Developers Conference so notable.

On Thursday night, Microsoft hosted a private, Xbox-branded party that included a number of women provocatively dressed in cleavage- and midriff-baring shirts, thigh-high stockings, and short, Xbox-green skirts, all dancing on pedestals to electronic music. The scene, which was filmed by a partygoer and posted to Twitter, resembled something from an average Tales From The Crypt nightclub scene.

The following morning, Xbox chief Phil Spencer sent a memo to the entire Xbox division of Microsoft, which confirmed that the party was "Xbox-hosted," as opposed to pawned off to some other external organizer. Spencer's letter also unequivocally spoke to attendees who complained about being uncomfortable at the party.

"We represented Xbox and Microsoft in a way that was absolutely not consistent or aligned to our values," Spencer wrote in the memo, which he later posted to Microsoft's blog. "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."

Further Reading Memoirs of a booth babe

However, the memo didn't clarify exactly which arm of Microsoft was involved in the party's production and promotion. Representatives for Assembly Media Inc, the primary PR agency for Xbox and a subsidiary of Edelman, declined to answer Ars' questions about who exactly organized or produced the party.

This public rebuffing came after Microsoft held its own Women In Gaming Luncheon hours before the nightclub party in question, and the whole scenario took place alongside a GDC rich with panels about the artistic, business, and logistical efforts currently underway to foster more gender parity in the industry. Panels included "creating inclusive environments for women" and "how women-in-games initiatives make a difference."