When a person is "too close to it," the "it" is typically and specifically in reference to a product design. And the person being referenced is typically someone who provided the initial concept to that product design and has been shepherding, or been heavily involved in, the development process for that design from very early on.

If the shepherd runs into development difficulties, where a portion or all of the product design is in jeopardy, the shepherd may volunteer to involve or hire another team member, or fresh set of eyes, into the decision-making process, because the shepherd, naturally, after some time, gets too close to the product design to truly notice its faults before it is too late to make a development / production adjustment.

Far more often than not in this day and age, and particular to game development, the shepherd is dragged kicking-and-screaming into sharing the responsibility of product design implementation with another party, insisting that no one is better equipped to develop that product design than the shepherd. This party, whether another team member or a 3rd party consultant, may have a fresh perspective which illuminates previously undiscovered solutions and, of course, additional problems that may not be spotted by someone who has potentially fallen in love with their product design.

To the shepherd, or anyone who has been given or has earned the opportunity to generate a product concept and bring it to full maturity on store shelves, that product concept is their baby. If they get their way, no one will ever defile it with new ideas, even if those ideas enhance the original concept.

Modern game development, for better or for worse (ask the shepherd), involves interdisciplinary communication and teamwork 9 times out of 10, and, in turn, a mature shepherd (aka “the Good Shepherd”) with a grasp of the big picture, and a willingness to delegate where necessary, will rarely-if-ever be accused of being too close to a product design.

If you work for or with a mature shepherd, you are in good hands. If you work with an inexperienced shepherd who is highly communicative and has a good bedside manner with a team of people, then, you are also in good hands. Good luck to those of you who do not have product design supervisors who fit that definition, because they will be "too close to it" until the bitter end, no matter how crazy the office politics that may ensue.

Everyone deserves an opportunity to work for or with a supervisor or teammate who has researched their material, respects and understands the production processes, and willingly honors the team dynamic with ease, especially when they are "too close to it."

You never know how, when, or where your first or last opportunity will present itself in generating product concepts and implementing them, and if you are lucky enough to work for or with the Good Shepherd, make the most of your opportunity with that person and for that person, because you will want the Good Shepherd “as close to it as possible."