Rieko Kodama, the pioneering developer behind Sega classics including Phantasy Star and Skies of Arcadia, has died. She was 58.

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.

Finally, the staff credits include a memorial message for Rieko Kodama. She started as an artist on games such as Alex Kidd In Miracle World, Phantasy Star and Sonic The Hedgehog, and was the producer for Skies Of Arcadia, 7th Dragon and most recently the Switch Sega Ages games. pic.twitter.com/v6xk8oUNYO

— Nick Thorpe (@HKT3030) October 26, 2022

"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.

Sega of Japan added, “We pray that the deceased will rest in peace, and we offer our gratitude for her enormous contributions to Sega.” [Translation by IGN Japan]

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 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.

As you understand it. We respected her.

— Yosuke Okunari /奥成洋輔 (@okunari) October 27, 2022

"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.

Thumbnail photo credit: Game Developers Conference

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Fallout: New Vegas definitely stands on its own as a full game, but it was originally conceptualized as a huge expansion for Fallout 3. In a Fallout retrospective video posted by Bethesda, Bethesda executive producer and Fallout 3 director Todd Howard explained how New Vegas came to be.

Fallout 3 comes out and it's a really, really big hit for the company, and they're like, 'Okay so what's the followup?', and I was like, 'Well we're doing Skyrim, so [then] it'll be Fallout 4, and there was a push like... 'We shoud do a big expansion pack or something like that. Are there companies that we could have do it?' and we knew the folks at Obsidian, and there was sort of this immediate [thought that] there's only one group we would really want to do this. And it actually started as a big expansion pack for Fallout 3, and I felt really strongly it should be its own game.

Fallout fans are definitely glad the project turned into a full game, as Fallout: New Vegas is one of the greatest open world games of all time. Microsoft now owns New Vegas developer Obsidian, making a potential follow-up a possibility. However, just last week, Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart said the studio isn't working on a Fallout game right now, but "there's not a question" about doing it if the opportunity arose.

Instead, Obsidian is preparing to release Pentiment, a 16th century mystery game set in Bavaria. The game is coming to Xbox and PC on November 15. If you're interested, you can check out our interview with Obsidian developer Josh Sawyer.

Meanwhile, Howard and Bethesda Game Studios are currently busy with Starfield, but we already know the studio is planning Fallout 5... After Elder Scrolls 6, that is.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over six years of experience in the gaming industry with bylines at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Fallout: New Vegas definitely stands on its own as a full game, but it was originally conceptualized as a huge expansion for Fallout 3. In a Fallout retrospective video posted by Bethesda, Bethesda executive producer and Fallout 3 director Todd Howard explained how New Vegas came to be.

Fallout 3 comes out and it's a really, really big hit for the company, and they're like, 'Okay so what's the followup?', and I was like, 'Well we're doing Skyrim, so [then] it'll be Fallout 4, and there was a push like... 'We shoud do a big expansion pack or something like that. Are there companies that we could have do it?' and we knew the folks at Obsidian, and there was sort of this immediate [thought that] there's only one group we would really want to do this. And it actually started as a big expansion pack for Fallout 3, and I felt really strongly it should be its own game.

Fallout fans are definitely glad the project turned into a full game, as Fallout: New Vegas is one of the greatest open world games of all time. Microsoft now owns New Vegas developer Obsidian, making a potential follow-up a possibility. However, just last week, Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart said the studio isn't working on a Fallout game right now, but "there's not a question" about doing it if the opportunity arose.

Instead, Obsidian is preparing to release Pentiment, a 16th century mystery game set in Bavaria. The game is coming to Xbox and PC on November 15. If you're interested, you can check out our interview with Obsidian developer Josh Sawyer.

Meanwhile, Howard and Bethesda Game Studios are currently busy with Starfield, but we already know the studio is planning Fallout 5... After Elder Scrolls 6, that is.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over six years of experience in the gaming industry with bylines at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Infinity Ward has laid out some changes that have been made to Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 in response to feedback from the game’s beta ahead of its launch later this week.

In a post on the studio’s website, the team broke down several change categories, including audio, UI, and movement. Most of these changes came from feedback on the multiplayer, but will also be applicable to the story campaign, as well.

The full list of changes reads as follows:

Enemy Visibility

• We have added diamond icons above the heads of enemies. This should make it easier for players to clearly identify opponents in the game.
• Additionally, we’ve continued to tweak lighting and contrast for improved enemy visibility.

Audio

• We’ve shortened the overall range of footstep audio which will allow enemy players to get closer to targets before they are able to detect footsteps. We have also continued to tweak teammate footstep audio, which will now be quieter following feedback from the Beta.
• The in-world activation sound effect volume range for the Dead Silence field upgrade has been drastically decreased.

Third Person

• Following feedback from Beta, aiming down sights will now stay in third person POV for low-zoom optics. Only high-zoom optics (beginning with the ACOG and higher) and special optics such as Hybrids and Thermals will revert to first person POV. We believe this will enhance the third person experience while keeping the gameplay balanced. The feedback on this mode has been very positive, and we will continue to explore its use as a modifier.

Weapons

• We have continued to tweak weapons across the game following both feedback from Beta players and game data. Players can expect more specifics on weapon tuning as we continue to support post-launch.

UI

• We have been working hard on numerous updates to our UI that make accessing and customizing your loadout more seamless. We’ve made improvements to navigation of menus and will continue to optimize our UX.

Movement

• Slide, ledge hang, and dive have been further refined. We’ve also addressed some movement exploits following Beta.

Matchmaking

• We have implemented some changes that aim to reduce lobby disbandment between matches. We look forward to testing this at a large scale and getting feedback.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is coming to PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on Friday, October 28, though the campaign has been playable for those who pre-ordered the game digitally since October 20. For more on that, check out IGN's review of the campaign (or check out the video version below), in which it was described as "underwhelming and overly familiar."

Kenneth Shepard is a writer covering games, entertainment, and queerness all around the internet. Find him on Twitter at @shepardcdr, and listen to his biweekly video game retrospective podcast Normandy FM, which is currently covering Cyberpunk 2077.

Infinity Ward has laid out some changes that have been made to Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 in response to feedback from the game’s beta ahead of its launch later this week.

In a post on the studio’s website, the team broke down several change categories, including audio, UI, and movement. Most of these changes came from feedback on the multiplayer, but will also be applicable to the story campaign, as well.

The full list of changes reads as follows:

Enemy Visibility

• We have added diamond icons above the heads of enemies. This should make it easier for players to clearly identify opponents in the game.
• Additionally, we’ve continued to tweak lighting and contrast for improved enemy visibility.

Audio

• We’ve shortened the overall range of footstep audio which will allow enemy players to get closer to targets before they are able to detect footsteps. We have also continued to tweak teammate footstep audio, which will now be quieter following feedback from the Beta.
• The in-world activation sound effect volume range for the Dead Silence field upgrade has been drastically decreased.

Third Person

• Following feedback from Beta, aiming down sights will now stay in third person POV for low-zoom optics. Only high-zoom optics (beginning with the ACOG and higher) and special optics such as Hybrids and Thermals will revert to first person POV. We believe this will enhance the third person experience while keeping the gameplay balanced. The feedback on this mode has been very positive, and we will continue to explore its use as a modifier.

Weapons

• We have continued to tweak weapons across the game following both feedback from Beta players and game data. Players can expect more specifics on weapon tuning as we continue to support post-launch.

UI

• We have been working hard on numerous updates to our UI that make accessing and customizing your loadout more seamless. We’ve made improvements to navigation of menus and will continue to optimize our UX.

Movement

• Slide, ledge hang, and dive have been further refined. We’ve also addressed some movement exploits following Beta.

Matchmaking

• We have implemented some changes that aim to reduce lobby disbandment between matches. We look forward to testing this at a large scale and getting feedback.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is coming to PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on Friday, October 28, though the campaign has been playable for those who pre-ordered the game digitally since October 20. For more on that, check out IGN's review of the campaign (or check out the video version below), in which it was described as "underwhelming and overly familiar."

Kenneth Shepard is a writer covering games, entertainment, and queerness all around the internet. Find him on Twitter at @shepardcdr, and listen to his biweekly video game retrospective podcast Normandy FM, which is currently covering Cyberpunk 2077.

HBO Max's planned Green Lantern show is undergoing a creative change.

According to Variety, Greg Berlanti's Green Lantern series for HBO Max has lost its co-writer and showrunner Seth Grahame-Smith. Furthermore, the series will no longer focus on Green Lantern members Guy Gardner and Alan Scott and instead focus on John Stewart.

As a result, the two actors cast as Garnder and Scott, Finn Wittrock and Jeremy Irvine respectively, have left the show.

Green Lantern was announced as a straight-to-series 10-episode series for HBO Max with Grahame-Smith attached. The series promised to show the adventures of "a multitude of Lanterns," including Gardner, Scott, Jessica Cruz, and Simon Baz, with a particular focus on the first two.

Grahame-Smith's exit from Green Lantern marks his second departure from a DC project. He was the one-time director attached to The Flash, which ended up cycling through numerous directors before landing on IT director Andy Muschietti.

While it's not canceled, the creative shift will likely mean the Green Lantern series will now be further out from release. It's also unknown if the show will become one of the shows under James Gunn and Peter Safran who are set to lead DC Studios for Warner Bros. Discovery.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

HBO Max's planned Green Lantern show is undergoing a creative change.

According to Variety, Greg Berlanti's Green Lantern series for HBO Max has lost its co-writer and showrunner Seth Grahame-Smith. Furthermore, the series will no longer focus on Green Lantern members Guy Gardner and Alan Scott and instead focus on John Stewart.

As a result, the two actors cast as Garnder and Scott, Finn Wittrock and Jeremy Irvine respectively, have left the show.

Green Lantern was announced as a straight-to-series 10-episode series for HBO Max with Grahame-Smith attached. The series promised to show the adventures of "a multitude of Lanterns," including Gardner, Scott, Jessica Cruz, and Simon Baz, with a particular focus on the first two.

Grahame-Smith's exit from Green Lantern marks his second departure from a DC project. He was the one-time director attached to The Flash, which ended up cycling through numerous directors before landing on IT director Andy Muschietti.

While it's not canceled, the creative shift will likely mean the Green Lantern series will now be further out from release. It's also unknown if the show will become one of the shows under James Gunn and Peter Safran who are set to lead DC Studios for Warner Bros. Discovery.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Rihanna marks her return to music with a single for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever this Friday, October 28, and the track will serve as a special tribute to the first film’s late star, Chadwick Boseman.

Lift Me Up is Rihanna’s first musical debut since 2016, and is described as “a tribute to the extraordinary life and legacy of Chadwick Boseman.” The song — written with Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems, producer Ludwig Göransson, and Black Panther director Ryan Coogler — will be released on Rihanna’s Westbury Road label in partnership with Roc Nation, Def Jam Recordings, and Hollywood Records.

lift me up
10.28.22 pic.twitter.com/hIvhUQP8Bj

— Rihanna (@rihanna) October 26, 2022

While there’s no full version of the track available for now, Rihanna shared a brief clip of Lift Me Up on Twitter. It’s a soft, somber hum only a few seconds long, and reminiscent of some of the more poignant melodies used in trailers prior.

In August 2020, Chadwick Boseman died at the age of 43 from cancer. Boseman starred in the original film as Black Panther (T’Challa) and planned to return as the superhero in Black Panther 2. Before his death, Coogler said the sequel was “very much rooted in T’Challa’s perspective,” but was rewritten to honor Boseman and his role.

The Lift Me Up announcement confirms speculation from earlier this month when New York Times journalist Kyle Buchanan shared rumors of Rihanna’s involvement with the soundtrack and also noted her contribution was for the end-credits song.

Lift Me Up will be available this Friday with options to pre-save on Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will release in theaters on November 10, 2022. In the lead-up to the film’s debut, Marvel Entertainment has also shared other details, like the official plot summary, and a featurette with the cast explaining the film’s emotional ties.

Andrea Shearon is a freelance news writer at IGN covering games and entertainment. Find her on Twitter (@Maajora) chatting about FFXIV and other RPGs.

Rihanna marks her return to music with a single for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever this Friday, October 28, and the track will serve as a special tribute to the first film’s late star, Chadwick Boseman.

Lift Me Up is Rihanna’s first musical debut since 2016, and is described as “a tribute to the extraordinary life and legacy of Chadwick Boseman.” The song — written with Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems, producer Ludwig Göransson, and Black Panther director Ryan Coogler — will be released on Rihanna’s Westbury Road label in partnership with Roc Nation, Def Jam Recordings, and Hollywood Records.

lift me up
10.28.22 pic.twitter.com/hIvhUQP8Bj

— Rihanna (@rihanna) October 26, 2022

While there’s no full version of the track available for now, Rihanna shared a brief clip of Lift Me Up on Twitter. It’s a soft, somber hum only a few seconds long, and reminiscent of some of the more poignant melodies used in trailers prior.

In August 2020, Chadwick Boseman died at the age of 43 from cancer. Boseman starred in the original film as Black Panther (T’Challa) and planned to return as the superhero in Black Panther 2. Before his death, Coogler said the sequel was “very much rooted in T’Challa’s perspective,” but was rewritten to honor Boseman and his role.

The Lift Me Up announcement confirms speculation from earlier this month when New York Times journalist Kyle Buchanan shared rumors of Rihanna’s involvement with the soundtrack and also noted her contribution was for the end-credits song.

Lift Me Up will be available this Friday with options to pre-save on Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will release in theaters on November 10, 2022. In the lead-up to the film’s debut, Marvel Entertainment has also shared other details, like the official plot summary, and a featurette with the cast explaining the film’s emotional ties.

Andrea Shearon is a freelance news writer at IGN covering games and entertainment. Find her on Twitter (@Maajora) chatting about FFXIV and other RPGs.

Despite George R.R. Martin's involvement with Elden Ring, the author revealed he has not played FromSoftware's latest epic for himself. Appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which was spotted by GamesRadar, Martin explained why.

"I have not played it because people seem to want this Winds of Winters book," Martin said. "And I have, unfortunately, a totally addictive personality. I did play video games a long, long time ago. I played games like Railroad Tycoon, and Master of Orion, and Homeworld and I would get sucked into it, and weeks, months would go by and I'd be sitting there in my red flannel bathrobe just like, 'one more game, one more game,' and [finally I went], 'I can't, I gotta go cold turkey on this, this is gonna kill me here.'"

Martin went on to praise the team at FromSoftware, calling Elden Ring "the most beautiful game I have ever seen. It's really amazing, and amazingly detailed, and the people who play it love it and I'm very gratified to have been a part of it."

In the same interview with Colbert, Martin said that The Winds of Winter could be over 1500 pages long, and that he's about three quarters of the way done writing it. The penultimate entry of A Song of Ice and Fire is certainly keeping Martin very busy, along with other projects like HBO's House of the Dragon.

Martin's involvement with Elden Ring was announced back at E3 2019, alongside the game's reveal. He was key to the foundation of the story, the game's bosses, and much of the overall worldbuilding. Because so much of his work was one at the conceptual level, Martin's involvement with the project was actually completed years ago. Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki said he placed some restraints on Martin's contributions, ensuring that the story always served the player experience.

And even though the writer hasn't sat down to play Elden Ring, he's seemed very happy with the experience overall. When the game was released, Martin said he was very happy with the reviews. He has also previously called the opportunity to work on Elden Ring "too exciting to refuse".

Both FromSoftware and Martin should be very happy with how Elden Ring turned out. The game has dominated the conversation in 2022, earning a perfect score in our review, smashing sales milestones, and setting internet records.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over six years of experience in the gaming industry with bylines at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.