Sega Confirms Rieko Kodama Has Died After Fans Spot Tribute (Phantasy Star, Skies Of Arcadia)

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Sega Confirms Rieko Kodama Has Died After Fans Spot Tribute

Kodama helped create the Phantasy Star games among other notable projects.

Rieko Kodama, the pioneering developer behind Sega classics including Phantasy Star and Skies of Arcadia, has died. She was 59.

The rumors began after a memorial message to Kodama was spotted in the credits of Mega Drive Mini 2. Asked whether the message was indeed intended to indicate that Kodama had died, Sega producer Yosuke Oskunari said that she had.



"As you understand it," Okunari wrote. "We respected her."

Sega subsequently confirmed that Kodama died in May, but was unable to share any further details out of respect for the privacy of her family.

A pioneering woman in the games industry

Known as Phoenix Rie in her early works, Kodama broke into the games industry in the mid-1980s, where she served as a graphic designer and then later as a producer and director. Her credits include the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Skies of Arcadia, but she is best-known for her work as one of the creative leads of the Phantasy Star series, serving as the director of Phantasy Star IV.

Though lauded as a pioneer in an industry dominated by men, Kodama was famously averse to the spotlight, deflecting credit to the rest of her team when she was awarded a Pioneer Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards.



"I’m not sure if it’s because of Sega’s corporate culture or what, but I’ve never felt that I was at a disadvantage just because I’m a woman. I’ve been working on various things related to game development for over 30 years now, and since joining Sega I haven’t been treated any differently from men," Kodama said in an interview.

In another interview, she said that she didn't think it was that unusual for women to play games, observing that girls often gravitate toward RPGs. One of her most notable works, Phantasy Star, stood out because it was one of the very few games with a female protagonist.

"As I'm a woman myself, when I make games, I try not to just have them be male fantasy figures, as people needing to be rescued. I like to make female characters people of both genders can relate to. But we are seeing more strong-willed women in games geared towards female audiences," Kodama said at the time.

Kodama remained active in the games industry through the 2010s, continuing to work on games incuding 7th Dragon and Sega Ages. She leaves behind a legacy as one of the foremost female developers in gaming history, her 35-year career in the industry serving as inspiration for many women to follow.

Source: IGN

[Dr. Zoidberg]

[melancholy]

"I’m not sure if it’s because of Sega’s corporate culture or what, but I’ve never felt that I was at a disadvantage just because I’m a woman. I’ve been working on various things related to game development for over 30 years now, and since joining Sega I haven’t been treated any differently from men," Kodama said in an interview.

Yet Sega didn’t even announce her passing and nobody bothered to make mention of it until she gets an ‘in memory’ in a game half a year later.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

That's because her family wanted it kept private.