Crowdfunded Board Games

Digital Cooperation

Johannes Wachs, an assistant professor at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, explores the transformative impact of web-based platforms on digital cooperation. He highlights how platforms like GitHub serve as a repository of immense data, showcasing human cooperation at large scales, particularly in open source software. This software forms the backbone of our digital society, maintained by small groups or individuals who often work without recognition or compensation 1.

Open source software is not something abstract and used by only niche users, but really rather that it's really the backbone infrastructure of our digital society.

--- Johannes Wachs

Wachs emphasizes the need for the research community to better understand these dynamics, as they represent a major vulnerability in our digital economy 1.

   

Economic Impact

Crowdfunding has significantly influenced the board game industry, driving innovation and novelty. Johannes Wachs notes that crowdfunded games are about 50% more likely to implement novel ideas compared to traditionally published games, even when accounting for factors like complexity and playtime 2. This trend suggests that crowdfunded games are pulling the industry in new directions, with traditional games following suit.

Crowdfunded games are kind of pulling the traditionally published games in a new direction.

--- Johannes Wachs

Wachs argues that while these innovations are risky, they highlight the potential of crowdfunding to foster creativity and influence broader economic trends 2.