Admittedly this article doesn't stress anything that hasn't been stressed before: women are making themselves more and more known in the gaming world. We've got the horror stories of women harassed, mention of the Frag Dolls and PMS Clan, and so on and so on. Still, some good stories and facts in it.

From the article:

Christa Phillips plays like a girl. And she's perfectly OK with that.

Known online as TriXie, Phillips serves as a goodwill ambassador for Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox Live online game service. Her online group, GamerchiX, functions as a virtual Grand Central Terminal for women and girls who tread into the testosterone-steeped world of console gaming.

American society has evolved since the advancement of women's rights in the 1960s. But the world of video gaming has been largely stuck in a time warp with its frat house culture of sexual insults and put-downs.

"For some women, the minute they open their mouths, they get trash-talked or hit on or both," Phillips said.

The hostile climate has kept many women away from online gaming, she said. Microsoft says it doesn't track the gender of its players, but Phillips estimates that 10 percent to 20 percent of Xbox Live's 7 million players are women. The service lets players log into a network of gamers via the Internet to find opponents and teammates and to chat using instant messaging or headsets.

Read the full article over at chicagotribune.com