Rieko Kodama

Rieko Kodama
小玉 理恵子
Born	May 1963 (1963-05) Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
Died	May 9, 2022(2022-05-09) (aged 58–59)
Nationality	Japanese
Other names	Phoenix Rie
Occupation(s)	Video game artist, director, and producer
Years active	1984–2022
Employer	Sega
Notable work	Phantasy Star, Skies of Arcadia, 7th Dragon

Rieko Kodama (Japanese: 小玉 理恵子, Hepburn: Kodama Rieko, May 1963 – May 9, 2022), also known as Phoenix Rie, was a Japanese video game artist, director, and producer employed by Sega from 1984 until her death. She is primarily known for her work on role-playing video games including the original Phantasy Star series, the 7th Dragon series, and Skies of Arcadia (2000). She is often recognized as one of the first successful women in the video game industry.

Kodama began her career at Sega as a graphic designer on arcade games and Master System games, including Alex Kidd in Miracle World (1986) and Phantasy Star (1987). The success of Phantasy Star led her to continue with the series thereafter, including directing Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium (1993) for the Sega Genesis. She did artwork for other Genesis games, including Altered Beast (1988) and Sonic the Hedgehog (1991). Later, as producer, she oversaw the development of several Sega video games, including the critically successful Skies of Arcadia. Kodama remained a producer at Sega until her death. She received the Pioneer Award at the 2018 Game Developers Choice Awards in recognition of her lifelong contributions to video games.