Xbox 360 Microsoft Irony girlie facts revealed

' During discussions with Xbox marketing head in the UK Stephen McGill last Thursday night, the subject of female gamers came up '

McGill stressed that Microsoft wanted to reach out to "the untapped market of female gamers" by designing games that are more female friendly and, critically, emphasising less of the marketing efforts on appealing to teenage boys.

It is with great glee then that I received these photos of two stunning models displaying the console at the event - sadly earlier in the evening than when your correspondent was there… Old habits die hard I guess and good luck to Microsoft, or just about anyone in the industry for that matter, reaching female gamers when they can’t even get past the marketing materials and packaging without being bombarded with pretty faces providing the backdrop to gaming products that most women will never touch.