It would seem that there are a variety of factors that push us one way or the other. Similarly, where events unfold quickly and fast response is critical, we again see stronger reasons for the team approach. The only argument for isolation is the cost of communications overhead. Game design projects stretch over many months and there is always time to correct a problem before you ship product. I would answer, to a very great extent.
Game design is hard, and few people have the experience to do it well.
The answers to these three questions suggest that game design is best carried out in a more auteurial atmosphere. Here we encounter an apparent dilemma. I think that the answer lies in the changing nature of our profession. Let's face it, microcomputer programmers have always been loners and have glorified the loner lifestyle. But as our projects have grown larger, more and more people have gotten sucked into them.