{"id":88615,"date":"2026-07-01T09:00:07","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T00:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/?p=88615"},"modified":"2026-07-01T09:05:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T00:05:12","slug":"podcast-column-beyond-entertainment-progressive-game-design-and-kojimas-vision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/news\/88615","title":{"rendered":"[Podcast Column] Beyond Entertainment: Progressive Game Design and Hideo Kojima\u2019s Vision"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This podcast column<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">inroduces\u00a0the second episode of Season 2 of\u00a0Waseda\u00a0University\u2019s English-language podcast \u201cRigorous Research, Real Impact.\u201d In this installment, Associate Professor Bryan Hikari Hartzheim<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0(<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/fire\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Faculty of International Research and Education)<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0appears as the featured guest in \u201cHideo Kojima and the Art of Game Design.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245417&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Drawing on his\u00a0expertise\u00a0in game and media studies, he introduces \u201cprogressive game design\u201d as a way of thinking about video games that goes\u00a0beyond entertainment, aiming instead to influence developments within the gaming industry while also engaging with\u00a0broader cultural and social questions. In the excerpt below, he explains how Hideo Kojima\u2019s creative approach illustrates this idea, from reworking familiar gameplay conventions to helping\u00a0establish\u00a0entirely new genres.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Hideo Kojima and the Art of Game Design (Assoc. Prof. Bryan Hikari Hartzheim)\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/episode\/1IG1RGyAZvBmLKUoyxzglO?si=Mb-ZJ32rQT229-i9fIYBXg&amp;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">All eight episodes of Season 2\u00a0of\u00a0Waseda\u00a0University\u2019s English podcast \u201cRigorous Research, Real Impact\u201d\u00a0are\u00a0currently streaming for free on\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/61VF3lETynCBuXt1AxXjXK?si=3eba847f8061431e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Spotify,<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/music.amazon.com\/podcasts\/e0aa1340-7af7-4227-9361-88eecc575214\/waseda-university-podcasts-rigorous-research-real-impact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Amazon Music<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/waseda-university-podcasts-rigorous-research-real-impact\/id1777915569\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Apple Podcasts<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, and\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLeA0hDJkLYZDjs3b58eEZ1WnkvNJf9e9R\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">YouTube<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245417&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_88620\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/news\/85958\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-88620 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/assets\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026.6.25-Season-2-Episode-2-column-banner-cropped.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1638\" height=\"939\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/assets\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026.6.25-Season-2-Episode-2-column-banner-cropped.png 1638w, https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/assets\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026.6.25-Season-2-Episode-2-column-banner-cropped-610x350.png 610w, https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/assets\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026.6.25-Season-2-Episode-2-column-banner-cropped-768x440.png 768w, https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/assets\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026.6.25-Season-2-Episode-2-column-banner-cropped-1536x881.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1638px) 100vw, 1638px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">You can read the full transcript by clicking the above episode banner.<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Question:<\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Your\u00a0<\/span><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomsbury.com\/us\/hideo-kojima-9798765101698\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">book on Hideo Kojima<\/span><\/b><\/a><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0introduces the concept of \u201cprogressive game design.\u201d Could you briefly explain what it means, its key features, and how Hideo Kojima\u2019s work exemplifies it?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245417&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Professor Hartzheim (01:44):<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">So, I use the term progressive game design to capture what I view as a particular design ethos that is embodied by Hideo Kojima and his design teams.\u00a0And basically, it means to design games with the hope of contributing some kind of progress to the games industry\u00a0and, through this, to some of the questions of our time.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245417&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So, on the former end, Kojima and his team\u2019s work were insistent about creating different forms of play that were evolutions from existing popular\u00a0genres.The\u00a0most famous example is when Kojima, in his attempt to create an action game that didn\u2019t involve combat, he created the tactical espionage game called Metal Gear, which maybe you\u2019ve heard of and many people probably have heard of. And this game would lead to its own franchise at Konami Studios, where he worked, and eventually to the formation of this entire genre of games called \u201cstealth.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245417&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And the gameplay in this genre involves not destroying the enemy like in combat games that had existed at that time, or are still\u00a0very popular\u00a0today in first-person shooters, but instead of\u00a0total destruction, total avoidance. So, sneaking past guards or using tools and costumes to distract them.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245417&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So, this kind of new genre that was an evolution from other genres is one of the ways that Kojima and his designers looked to kind of push the envelope in terms of industry and industry expectations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Waseda Podcasts: &quot;Rigorous Research, Real Impact&quot;-- Season 2, Ep. 2 Teaser\" width=\"422\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mhYuR2GdY-s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-88623 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/assets\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0Z8_5531-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"458\" height=\"306\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/assets\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0Z8_5531-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/assets\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0Z8_5531-610x407.jpg 610w, https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/assets\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0Z8_5531-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/assets\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0Z8_5531-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/assets\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0Z8_5531-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/assets\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0Z8_5531-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 458px) 100vw, 458px\" \/><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><br \/>\nAbout the Guest:<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245417&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/w-rdb.waseda.jp\/html\/100001517_en.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Associate Professor Bryan Hikari Hartzheim<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0*Currently on sabbatical<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245417&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Dr. Bryan Hikari Hartzheim is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of International Research and Education. He teaches in the English-based degree programs of the School of International Liberal Studies (SILS) and the Graduate School of International Culture and Communication Studies (GSICCS). He\u00a0recieved\u00a0his Ph.D. in Cinema and Media Studies from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His research areas include aesthetics and art studies, game studies, media industry and production studies, and anime\/manga studies.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245417&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This podcast column\u00a0inroduces\u00a0the second episode of Season 2 of\u00a0Waseda\u00a0University\u2019s English-language podcast \u201c [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88625,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[81,117],"tags":[355,379,178],"class_list":["post-88615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-topic","tag-highlight-en","tag-podcast-en","tag-research-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88615"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88615\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88651,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88615\/revisions\/88651"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}