Xbox GamerchiX, an underappreciated resource for female gamers.

**SpaceGhost2K** · 04-17-2008

To start with, a link:

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/community/...ix/default.htm

I am going to post a number of things that all come RIGHT from this one page, and then I will offer some commentary in a subsequent post. I will, however, mark some parts in bold that I feel are extra-important for EVERYBODY to read (men included).

A trip to the Women's Game Conference in 2005 was the inspiration for starting a group for female gamers that was open to women and girls of any age, any location, any gaming preference, any gaming platform, and any ability. TriXie, PMS Kitty, and DirtyDiva's months of plotting and planning came to fruition in early June 2006 with a single forum post: Looking for Xbox GamerchiX.

That one forum thread generated 54 pages of responses, and a LOT of controversy. It also generated an amazing group of over 4,000 women in 30 countries: Xbox GamerchiX. GamerchiX range in age from four to 75, and enjoy playing a wide range of games.

If you or someone you know would like to meet other women to play games with, send TriXie an email at xlmail@microsoft.com. Subject should be XGX and don't forget your gamertag!

GamerchiX is NOT a clan, but we welcome women from all clans—we've got a bunch of ladies from both PMS and KSI, as well as other clans.

The XGX Manifesto

If you play games (and you're female - SG2K), you're a gamer chick. Whether you're an Xbox Halo 2 champ, play RPGs on the PC, or Mah Jong Tiles on MSN Games, you're a gamer chick.

Xbox GamerchiX don't talk trash about other women. Ever. When women stop hating on each other … we will rule the world!

Xbox GamerchiX support each other.

Xbox GamerchiX are good role models for young gamer girls.

Xbox GamerchiX are not pin-ups. We're all hot in our own unique way, but it's about the games and the companionship, not T&A.

You can be a member of any clan or group, but while you're part of GamerchiX, you don't talk trash about other gamers.

Wanna join Xbox GamerchiX? All you need are two X chromosomes! Send an email to xlmail@microsoft.com with the subject: XGX.

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I have met Trixie on a number of occasions. She's one of the funniest people I've met, ever. I've met DirtyDiva also on a number of occasions and find her to be a funny and caring person. I'd only seen PMS Kitty across a crowded room, but got to spend a good amount of time with her (and ALL the MVP's) at this MVP Summit, and I really had my eyes opened to this issue.

Generally speaking, girls get treated like crap on Xbox LIVE. The Xbox people at Microsoft THOUGHT they understood that, until these ladies invited them to play in an open match one night. They were literally mortified at how the girls were being treated (not to mention that a VERY long list was written out of gamertags that were almost immediately banned.)

XGX (Xbox GamerchiX) is a result of that.

**SpaceGhost2K** · 04-17-2008

Now, the commentary.

The goal here is simple. There are many females who would likely become gamers of SOME description if they had a place to go, free from the aggression and intimidation of the hardcore gaming masses.

Maybe they want other women to play with or against, of a similar skill level, where they're not subject to trash talking and the innuendo-filled taunts of a more experienced male gaming population.

Maybe they want a place where they can find suitable co-op partners or competition for their kids.

Maybe they just have a question and want an answer from someone who shares their point of view.

Maybe they just want to get into gaming and have no idea where to start.

Now this is something you have to understand. Xbox GamerchiX is NOT a place for newbies with bewbies. There are females over all skill levels and all ages. How "good" they are is not what they have in common. What they have in common, besides the requisite two X chromosomes, is a desire to have a place that is safe, where women and girls can be themselves and encourage each other.

If you're a guy, and if you have a daughter, or a sister, or a girlfriend, or a wife, or a mom, or even a grandma, Xbox GamerchiX is a place where you would feel comfortable if they were a part of it.

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What makes it different? How is it NOT just a "Girls Rule Boys Drool" forum?

First, you can't just be a girl, or CLAIM to be a girl, stumble into the forums and start posting stuff. You are given access to the forum ONLY when you write an email to Trixie and ask to be added as a member. Every member is added by hand. Every single one. Over four thousand so far.

Second, it is NOT a recruitment center for future Xbox customers. In fact, they make it very clear that while it is INSIDE the Xbox forums, women and girls are welcome to ask questions or discuss games from ANY platform and any type of game. Doesn't matter if it's King's Quest or Kingdom Hearts, Super Mario or Super Shrek Party, Hello Kitty or Halo. It is a place for "female gamers," NOT "female Xbox gamers."

Third, it is NOT a Public Relations, dog-and-pony show for the PMS clan. The members of PMS were so before Xbox GamerchiX was started, there are other clans who have become members, and members who have formed clans. Some of the women in the PMS clan are often called upon to give interviews because they're knowledgable and well-spoken, not because they're "exceptionally beautiful" or "exceptionally skillful" or least of all, "exceptionally brainwashed by Microsoft." They're a cross-section of girl gamers who enjoy playing as a team, and because that IS "out of the norm," they get extra attention because of it.

Fourth, it is NOT for the online players only. It doesn't even matter if the only gaming you do is Bejewelled on your cell phone. If you're a girl and you have fun playing ANY kind of video game, you need to add yourself to this community, and you need to encourage other women you know to join as well. Even if you're not a gamer (let's say that maybe your kids are or maybe they want to be and you have questions), it's a great group to be a part of.

**SpaceGhost2K** · 04-18-2008

Four THOUSAND members out of ten MILLION LIVE subs is ridiculous. It should be ten times that. Hell, it should be a HUNDRED times that. This is a seriously underappreciated resourse for females who like games of any kind. Having talked at length to PMS Kitty at the MVP Summit, I am taking it upon myself to add a full ONE THOUSAND MEMBERS to their forum group.

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Now for the tricky part. I'm going to write a little thing below that I would encourage you to copy-and-paste, and send along to every girl or woman you think could benefit by being a member of these forums as I described them to you:

=====================================================
||
|| There is an online forum called "GamerchiX" that I want to recommend that
|| you join. It's a place for people who like video games, but all the members
|| are either girls or women. There are people there from 4 to 74 years old.
|| Some of them are really good, competitive players and others who like to
|| play games by themselves. Some of them have been playing for a long time
|| and others are just getting into video games.
||
|| There's no cussing, no name calling, no insults, and no super-aggressive
|| gamers to intimidate you. It's a place for anyone who is a (woman/girl)
|| who likes any kind of video games. I thought you might find some friends
|| there or like to have a place to ask questions or learn about new games.
||
|| All you have to do is send an email to this address:
||
|| xlmail@microsoft.com
||
|| Put this in the subject line: "XGX MVPSG2K"
||
|| And then add your name and Gamertag to the body of the email.
||
||========================================================

Now here's the part where I bet you have a question. "Why do I have to put 'MVPSG2K' in the subject line? This is some dumb contest and you get something out of this, don't you." Actually, I knew you'd ask that.

I am not doing this for me and I get nothing out of it. The point of putting my name in the subject line is because I want to see what kind of an affect one person can have on the number of members of these forums. Can this thread that I'm sharing with all of you actually result in 1,000 new members to Gamerchix? I dunno. I'll certainly NEVER know without some way of letting XGX know how you heard about their forums. Even if it was from someone who heard it from someone who heard it from someone who heard about it from SG2K, that still goes back to one person's actions making a difference.

Besides putting this in this forum, I'm also going to create bag inserts for the women who work at my four local GameStop stores to pass along to their customers. I know these women well enough to know they're all passionate gamers who will be excited to tell other women about such a place. If every person who gets a flyer tells ten women and only one of them join, that's a 1:1 membership rate, where even one out of ten would be incredible.

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One last thing, and I'll try to check back into this thread besides all my faceplate stuff... if you want to put YOUR name in the subject line, that's fine. In fact, if a lot more of "Joe" starts showing up than "SG2K," that's a good thing because it will still give everyone a way to see what works and what doesn't, so they can do what works. Right?

**Ainokeatoo** · 04-18-2008

In all fairness, The PMS clan's female gamers aren't necessarily the nicest group of wholesome women you'd find on live. I came across a few on a number of occasions back in the days of RS and RSV many were rude and were just like guys. But I agree nonetheless, we need more girl gamers, preferably xbl gamers because >_> well, I only play on my xbox normally.