Hideo Kojima reportedly waited four years to make Policenauts because Konami repeatedly reassigned him to different roles while he was developing the Metal Gear series. The account highlights how internal company priorities delayed one of Kojima’s early original projects, despite his growing reputation at the publisher.

Policenauts was eventually released after this extended delay, allowing Kojima to pursue a science-fiction adventure distinct from Metal Gear. The article frames the episode as an example of the constraints Kojima faced at Konami early in his career, when his work was shaped by the company’s shifting development needs.