Rieko Kodama, the pioneering Sega developer behind games like Phantasy Star and Skies of Arcadia, has died at the age of 58. However, contrary to popular belief, she did not die recently, this month or the previous month. The developer passed away in May, but the press has only confirmed it now.
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Confirmation came when Nick Thorpe, editor of articles at retro game magazinenoticed that in the credits of the Sega Mega Drive Mini II there is a message with the following content: “In memory of Rieko Kodama”. Twitter user Ares Arcadia quoted Thorpe’s tweet to ask Sega producer Yosuke Okunari if the message meant that Kodama had died, to which Okunari responded and said: “As you understand. We respect it”confirming his death.
Sega has since confirmed Kodama’s death, citing that she passed away in May, according to IGN. According to Sega, further details about his death will not be released out of respect for his family’s privacy.
“We pray that the deceased may rest in peace and express our gratitude for her great contribution to Sega.”says Sega of Japan, translated by IGN Japan.
Game heroine
Kodama’s path in game development began in the 1980s when she began working as a graphic designer for Master System and Sega Mega Drive games such as Altered Beast and Sonic the Hedgehog. She was Phantasy Star’s lead artist and continued to work on the series’ visual team until Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium, which she directed.
Other works include the Mega Drive versions of Sorcerian, Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and more. After directing Phantasy Star IV, she directed the anime adaptation of Magic Knight Rayearth (broadcast in Brazil by SBT as “Magic Warriors of Rayearth”) in 1995 before becoming producer and head of development for Sega’s Skies of Arcadia.
She has also been a key female figure in the games industry and often advocated for more female voices in games. In an interview with The Next Level in 2017, Kodama noted that games need to have themes other than violent conflict if they are to appeal to female gamers.
“I don’t usually think about making games exclusively for a female audience, but I think my RPGs appeal to a wider female audience.” she said. “Violent military-themed headlines seem to appeal to a predominantly male audience. I think if companies want more girls to play their games, they should keep that in mind.”
She continued to work on game development until at least 2018, when she was lead producer on the Sega Sega Ages compilation. In 2019, she received the Pioneer Award at GDC 2019.
We at Married Games offer our condolences to the family of Rieko Kodama.
About Fantasy Star
Perhaps one of Kodama’s most famous games, the Phantasy Star RPG series is Sega’s answer to the acclaimed Final Fantasy, a Square Enix game that was exclusive to Nintendo consoles at the time.
The game takes players to the Algol solar system, made up of the planets Motavia, Palma, and Desoris. In this world, an evil form called the Dark Force captures Emperor Lassic, who turns him into a tyrant. Many tried to stop him, but no one succeeded. Among them is Nero, who died opposite his sister Alice at the hands of Lassic’s soldiers.
Before dying, Nero asks Alice to complete a mission to face Lassik, with the help of some unforgettable allies such as the soldier Odin, the wizard Lutz, and Meow, a talking cat-like creature, to stop the tyrant from conquering all the planets. Solar system.
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Source: IGN
Source : Married Games
