But what the math models do not — and cannot — capture, Mr. Bhidé writes, is “all the various forms of knowledge generated by the massively multiplayer innovations game that sustains economic growth.”

I love that the metaphor he chooses for the complexity of innovation is massively multiplayer games. I’m not even sure it’s a good metaphor, both because I doubt the audience for this article has a real solid grasp on what that means, but also because MMO’s are remarkably un-complex and limited in the innovation that happens within the game. The vasty majority of the complexity in a game like World of Warcraft is built in by the designers, not developed by the players. Though I guess maybe the ecosystem around the game is filled with innovation that might be relevant to his point.