“Ultimately, I feel the game design part of the development should be done by the game designers. If I start tinkering with the work they've done it would be weird. [...] it would be like punching holes in the foundation of a building. "This column looks funky—take it out!" And then the whole thing collapses.”
As producer of Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner, Kojima said he deliberately kept some distance from the team because he ultimately believes the game-design part of development should be done by the game designers; he warned that if he began to tinker with their work it would be like punching holes in the foundation of a building — removing a column and causing the whole thing to collapse. He acknowledged he had meddled a little in the first Zone of the Enders and said he was resolved not to do so this time, though he admitted he did speak up a bit at the end of development.
“I deliberately put some space between me and everyone this time. [...] I did a little meddling in the first Zone of Enders, unfortunately, but this time I was resolved not to. Well… I did speak up a bit there at the end of the development. (laughs)”