In the Industrial Age, knowledge was power.

• The Industrial Age was a resource/raw materials-based economy.
• Access to knowledge was limited to those with significant means.
• Those who combined rare knowledge with raw materials and the means to shape them using advanced machinery were the alchemists of the day.

In the Information [Overload] Age, attention is power.

• The Information [Overload] Age is a knowledge/network-based economy.
• Knowledge is a click away. Information overload is a few clicks away.
• In the sea of ubiquitous knowledge, those who can command attention by delivering unique, memorable and valuable experiences around that knowledge will be the alchemists of the day.

The Knowledge Economy of World of Warcraft

Within the guilds of this popular computer game, real innovation is taking place. Thousands of new ideas happen daily through crowdsourcing. In addition, all performance is measured and critiqued, both as a group and individually. Guilds also work collaboratively on larger projects, allowing for radical, exponential learning and results. Deloitte Center for the Edge’s John Seely Brown encourages business thinkers to use the practices of the game as a strategic model for building better innovation.