Known for her work in the area of role-playing games (RPGs), the Japanese video game artist and producer Rieko Kodama passed away in May 2022. Rieko Kodama was employed at Sega, which is a Japanese multinational videogame and entertainment company.
She was a part of some of the iconic games from Sega. She is also a pioneer in the development of classic games from Sega like Phantasy Star and Skies of Arcadia. The designer was 59 years old when she passed away.
Sega did not officially reveal the news about the demise of the designer. The rumors about the death of the designer started after the release of Sega’s Mega Drive Mini 2. In the credits of the newly released Mega Drive Mini 2, people spotted a memorial message which was addressed to Rieko Kodama.
Upon noticing the memorial message, producer Yosuke Oskunari of Sega answered the people’s concern and confirmed that the news was true and that Rieko Kodama has passed away. He said that the designer passed away in May this year.
He also added that the reason to keep the news a secret was to respect the privacy of Rieko Kodama’s family. No further details about the death of Rieko were revealed by Sega or any of her family members. Even the cause of her death is not made public.
Who Is Reiko Kodama?
Often regarded as one of the first successful women in the video game industry, Reiko Kodama started her career in the field of video games as early as the 1980s. Rather than using her original name, Reiko Kodama used the name ‘Phoenix Rie’during the early days of her career. Reiko started her work as a graphic designer and with years of experience in the field, she ended up as a director and is one of the women pioneers in the field of video games.
Reiko Kidama was born in Yokosuka, Japan in May 1963. Right from her childhood, Reiko was a child who was interested in arcade games. She was also deeply passionate about arts and that was the drive that took her to graphic design. Reiko started her design career at Sega. She joined the videogame firm in 1984, where she started working as a graphic designer, and from there, her career lit up.
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Reiko Kodama is credited for the work she did in many different games. Some of her notable works include games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Altered Beast, Alex Kid in Miracle World, Alex Kid in Enchanted Castle, and so on.
Even though she was part of several games, she is most remembered for her work in the Phantasy Stars series. She worked as the creative lead for the series. She was also the director of Phantasy Star IV.
Even though she is seen as a very prominent figure in the field of game development, Reiko was a person who was known for her aversion to stages or the limelight. Even when she was awarded for her contributions in her field, she gracefully gave the credit to her team.
As Reiko worked in a field that was dominated by men, she often faced questions that enquired about the difficulties or discrimination that she had to face at her work in her career. While answering such questions, Reiko Kodama always praised her firm Sega and said that the culture at Sega never made her feel discriminated against because of her gender.
“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,” said Kodama in an interview.
Reiko Kodama spoke well about the representation of women in different fields and also about the stereotypes regarding the portrayal of female characters in games and also about the approach of women to games. She has said that the notion which said women do not like to play games was not true. According to her words, girls often find role-playing games appealing and are attracted to them.
The game Phantasy Star is one of the most notable works of Rieko Kodama. The game stands out from the rest of her games for a notable reason. There are only a few games where the central character is female.
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phantasy Star is one such game where the main character is female. Kodama has said that while designing a female character for her games, she wants the character to be relatable for people from both genders and that she was not much fond of the idea of female characters who were just here to be rescued.
The 35-year-long career of Rieko Kodama is an inspiration for many to take up the profession that they like. She remained in the field of designing all through the 2010s where she was an active part in games like 7th Dragon and Sega Ages. Even though she is no more today, her life and career will serve to inspire many in the coming years.