Hartzheim’s chapter, titled “Cameo Kojima: Ludic Self-Representation in the Metal Gear Solid Franchise,” has been published in The Metal Gear Solid Series: Critical Essays and New Perspectives (Bloomsbury), edited by Steven Kielich and Chris Hall, a collection of essays presenting an updated critical examination of the “tactical espionage action” series. Hartzheim’s chapter is a critical analysis of the form and function of the ludic representations – or cameos – of series director Hideo Kojima within the MGS franchise. The chapter describes the multiple uses of game cameos more generally, as well as the ways in which developers can claim (and reclaim) agency within the production process. By framing game cameos alongside cameos in other media, particularly film, Hartzheim argues that games can display similar potential for media workers to comment on their labor and industrial conditions when other means are unavailable.
