Some of my earliest recollections embody watching my dad play as Master Chief in Halo: Combat Evolved. My brother and I might cover behind the sofa to sneak a peek on the tremendous troopers and aliens in battle, which my mom thought is perhaps an excessive amount of for our younger eyes. But it left an impression on me. When I used to be just a little older, I dropped into battle with my personalized Spartan, who had pink armor and a unicorn banner, proper alongside my brother.
Even although gaming is one among my passions, I struggled to seek out gamer buddies on the all-girls college I attended. Aside from an occasional celebration recreation session, gaming simply didn’t look like a method I may join with my buddies. As a woman, I didn’t establish with the perceived aggressive, macho tradition that was related to players on the time. Few video games had been marketed towards ladies, and most of them concerned pets or model identify dolls. While I loved these video games too, I additionally needed to expertise RPGs, first-person shooters, and action-adventure video games the place I may very well be the hero. One of my brothers, although, bought to take pleasure in Halo LAN Parties together with his buddies. He bought Xbox Live and performed with on-line buddies, too. I used to be envious that I couldn’t share that very same expertise with my buddies.
I’m grateful, although, that the business has modified to be extra inviting and inclusive of all individuals. I’ve labored with Microsoft for 5 years and landed this superb function with Xbox working as a Senior Product Manager with the Xbox Store. I’m proud to be a part of a corporation that continues to evolve to extend numerous illustration in its recreation assortment and amongst recreation creators. I additionally discover success in educating laptop science to highschool college students as a part of the Microsoft TEALS program, which pairs business volunteers with lecturers to impart curriculum to them in a sustainable method. It means a lot to me to see ladies more and more represented in these courses and function a task mannequin to these in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) careers.
Halo was the primary recreation I skilled which allowed me to customise my character to characterize me in a way. Even nonetheless once I play a recreation, whether or not it’s Disney Dreamlight Valley, Fortnite, or Animal Crossing, I take pleasure in customizing my character’s look, gear, and skins. Having that illustration creates an emotional connection for me that makes me need to activate my console, seize a comfortable blanket, and return to my favourite video games over and over.
In honor of girls, and particularly ladies who take pleasure in gaming, listed here are a couple of ways in which Team Xbox is uplifting and supporting ladies this yr.
Gaming and Impact with Microsoft Rewards
Microsoft Rewards members can earn and donate factors to organizations supporting ladies with Xbox. The organizations beneath can be featured on console all through March:
- Girls Who Code: Girls Who Code is a nonprofit group working to shut the gender hole in tech by equipping college students who establish as ladies or nonbinary with the required computing abilities to pursue twenty first century alternatives. (Canada, UK, and US)
- Games & Online Harassment Hotline (by way of Feminist Frequency): The Games and Online Harassment Hotline is a free, textual content message-based, confidential emotional help hotline. This Hotline was created particularly for the gaming group. Whether you’re a participant, a developer, a streamer, a competitor — any a part of this group — they’re right here for you, whether or not which means providing emotional help or discovering the referrals and assets that you just want. (US)
- Women in Games International: Women in Games International works to domesticate assets comparable to superior data sharing, entry to expertise, and actionable mentorship packages to normalize variety in the video games business by way of elevated illustration. (Global)
- National Center for Transgender Equality: NCTE advocates to alter insurance policies and society to extend understanding and acceptance of transgender individuals. In the nation’s capital and all through the nation, NCTE works to exchange disrespect, discrimination, and violence with empathy, alternative, and justice. (US)
Xbox players can earn Microsoft Rewards factors in varied methods, comparable to enjoying or buying video games after downloading the Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox. Earn factors and redeem them for actual rewards. Join us right now and donate by way of Xbox.
Artist Tacha P Shares Her Vision of Womanhood and Gaming by way of her Xbox Logo Design
My work is concentrated on conceptualizing the realms of digital and bodily experiences by way of immersive visuals, and I typically take inspiration from the gaming group, particularly in character growth and world-building. It’s an honor to be a part of Women’s History Month celebrations at Xbox and share a design idea impressed by progress, goals, and stepping out one’s consolation zone with out essentially realizing the result.
The thought of womanhood fueled my creativity right here, and particularly, selecting to see the wonder that exists in all places in the world – even locations you’ve by no means been, or inside emotions not but tapped into. This is private to me as I do know that the trail lies forward, but the vacation spot is unclear. Spiritually, I really feel a definite connection to my future that fuels my very own progress. In the piece, golden rays spotlight the controller, signifying the positivity introduced into the world by the gaming group. Meanwhile, summary shapes and larger-than-life objects invite us to dream massive and know that we maintain the facility to form our personal destinies.
Check out extra of Tacha’s work at HotSupply.
Xbox Sponsoring First-Ever All Women’s Valorant Team to Compete on a National Stage on the CECC
Xbox is partnering with EportsU and Paidia Gaming to supply ladies players with alternatives for competitors, better visibility and entry to specialists in the gaming area, in addition to ship content material that celebrates excessive achievement, inclusivity, and optimistic play. This activation consists of three gaming occasions and two content material collection, designed to highlight collegiate ladies players in addition to up and coming feminine shoutcasters. This groundbreaking partnership concludes with sending the primary ever ladies’s staff and two new feminine shoutcasters to the nationwide Collegiate Esports Commissioner’s Cup (CECC) in Texas this May.
Find out extra about how one can comply with and help the ladies on their ‘road to nationals’ journey in the next occasions and content material collection:
- Competitive nationwide, collegiate Valorant qualifying match with faculties taking part throughout the United States and Canada.
- Finals on the Collegiate Esports Commissioner’s Cup (CECC) in Texas, which runs May 5 to May 7, 2023.
- Women’s Matchmaking Season, a separate nationwide competitors for girls players, with prime two groups competing at CECC Texas.
- “Road to CECC” will spotlight taking part groups as they put together for competitors in Texas.
- “Cast This” will concentrate on discovering and growing budding shoutcasting expertise.
Xbox Women’s History Month Affirmation Deck
Regardless of the place they’re in their careers, the ladies that work throughout your entire group of Microsoft are important and integral to our mission, success, and tradition. In help of the gifted ladies who work at Xbox, we collected affirmations and quotes that encourage us and our private journeys. We created this interactive Xbox Affirmations Deck so that you can obtain or the Xbox Affirmations Deck so that you can print. We encourage you to make use of these playing cards as a part of your self-care routine, to meditate on these phrases, and to set a optimistic tone to your day.
Women’s History Month 2023: Xbox Ambassadors Share Their Stories
The Xbox Ambassadors group is made up of numerous players from world wide and we like to amplify and spotlight the voices of those gamers. In celebration of Women’s History Month, we requested choose Xbox Ambassador Community Champions what it means to them to be a lady in gaming.
Here’s a sneak peek from our Q&A with Xbox Ambassadors BlondiebutGeeky and oOGingerAleOo.
What is your favourite reminiscence as a lady in gaming?
“I would have to say when a younger female gamer came to me and thanked me for helping them. While we look at each other as all gamers, it is nice to be some kind of a role model for younger women.” – oOGingerAleOo, Xbox Ambassador
From your perspective, what does the longer term appear to be for girls in gaming?
“I think it looks very promising. Ever growing. With more women in the industry, from game developers to hundreds of other roles. Women will be a part of every avenue and making the gaming space bigger and brighter. I watch how the narrative of games has expanded, grabbing the attention of women, and turning them into gamers. Programs like STEM and Women in Games are encouraging women to explore fields they might not normally gravitate towards. Empowerment like this is making huge differences in the growth of women in gaming and technology. We need to raise the awareness and have more conversations about representation for women in gaming.” – BlondiebutGeeky, Xbox Ambassador
Visit the Xbox Ambassadors Community Blog to see the total story!
The Xbox Ambassador group can be celebrating Women’s History Month with a collection of XA Missions that function video games with highly effective ladies. Play, share, and focus on your favourite video games by changing into an Xbox Ambassador right now!
Explore Games Featuring Powerful Women and Games Created by Women
Women have been an enormous a part of modern expertise for the reason that starting and the historical past of video video games isn’t any completely different. Not solely have ladies been concerned in the creation of video games each step of the best way, however research are exhibiting increasingly more that ladies play and revel in video games as a lot as males do. Since seeing ourselves represented is so necessary, we need to showcase that highly effective can imply many issues, from having the ability to tackle a horde of enemies to having the ability to observe empathy for others.
During March and past, we’re highlighting video games that convey focus to highly effective ladies protagonists and video games created by ladies. These collections can be found on The Microsoft Stores on Xbox, Windows, and throughout the Game Pass cellular app year-round as a part of our ongoing work to create extra inclusive gaming ecosystems and elevate content material that resonates with communities.
Featured titles throughout the collections on the Microsoft Stores on Xbox and Windows, Xbox Game Pass, and PC Game Pass embody:
- Signalis (Available with Xbox Game Pass and Rated M) – Created by Yuri Stern and Barbara Wittman, this creative tackle survival horror follows the story of a humanoid android, Elster, on a quest to seek out her lacking accomplice, Ariane. Discover terrifying secrets and techniques, difficult puzzles, and nightmarish creatures all whereas looking for misplaced love in a dystopian photo voltaic system.
- The Walking Dead: Michonne (Available with Xbox Game Pass and Rated M) – Haunted by her previous, this recreation explores the trauma from the devastating loss and troublesome choices that the resilient character, Michonne, needed to endure in order to survive the zombie apocalypse on her personal. Nichole Martinez, Meghan Thornton, Erica Harrell, and Desirée Proctor had been all contributing writers for this deeply emotional mini-series.
- A Plague Tale: Requiem (Available with Xbox Game Pass and Rated M) – Take on the function of Amicia, the clever protector of her cursed youthful brother, Hugo, in this heartrending sequel to A Plague Tale: Innocence. Embark on a journey to discover a new residence in a twisted world of supernatural forces and work out simply how far Amicia is prepared to go in order to save her brother.
- Cities: Skylines Remastered (Available with Xbox Game Pass) – Originally dropped at us from lead designer Karoliina Korppoo, this metropolis constructing recreation has now launched a remastered version for console. The newest version supplies the chance for larger and extra lovely cities. This recreation encourages creativity and self-expression by permitting gamers to design a metropolis of their goals whereas managing the ever-changing calls for of hundreds of residents.
- Gears 5 (Available with Xbox Game Pass and Rated M) – As the primary girl protagonist of this iconic franchise, Kait Diaz is on a mission to uncover the origins of the Locust Horde. Kait not solely battles her method bravely by way of swarms of enemies, but in addition endures disturbing visions that inevitably assist her get the solutions she seeks. Experience Kait’s journey of self-discovery as she learns her household’s true historical past.
New Gamerpics, Profile Theme, Wallpaper and Avatar Items to Celebrate Women’s History
In partnership with ladies communities at Xbox, we’re introducing a brand new gamerpic, profile theme, wallpapers and avatar gadgets! The gamerpic and profile theme can be out there on console and the Xbox PC app. Get your avatar gadgets and wallpaper gadgets right here. Content is topic to availability by nation.
Xbox Plays Livestreaming
Every Monday in the course of the month of March, the Xbox Plays staff can be spotlighting a few of our favourite ladies streamers and alluring them to take over the Xbox Twitch Channel in celebration of Women’s History Month! Tune in and catch all of the motion on Twitch.television/Xbox!
March 6
- Atiyana enjoying Disney Dreamlight Valley (11am PT)
- Ashlinaa enjoying Disney Dreamlight Valley (3pm PT)
March 13
- Emme enjoying Disney Dreamlight Valley (11am PT)
- TacticalGramma enjoying Call of Duty Warzone 2 (3pm PT)
March 20
- Laelindra enjoying Disney Dreamlight Valley (11am PT)
- Bettynixx enjoying Disney Dreamlight Valley (3pm PT)
March 27
- Blushi enjoying Minecraft (11am PT)
- OathxX enjoying Halo Infinite (3pm PT)
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