You may not know Tohru Okada’s name, but if you’ve ever owned a PlayStation console, you’ll be familiar with one of her most iconic creations: the sound that plays whenever the PS logo appears. According fonts in japanese (through GameSpot), Okada passed away on the 14th due to heart failure. He was 73 years old. Okada was reportedly hospitalized early last year due to a compression fracture and was in rehab hoping to perform at a music festival in April.
In addition to the PlayStation logo sound, Okada also composed the music for a number of crash bandicoot ads that aired in the 90s, as well as for some anime titles like SD Gundam mobile suit. However, to longtime fans of Japanese rock, he was more than just a game and anime composer. He was the keyboard player for a rock band called the Moonriders, where he played with Keiichi Suzuki, who made music for Nintendo. Mother series also known as Land out of Japan.
While the PS “bing” sound is short and unobtrusive, Sony has been using it for over 25 years. You can check out the video below to hear what it sounded like for various PS announcements and loading screens from the very first PlayStation.
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