> Not just Valve. Many of the best videogame studios in the world are
> run in remarkably democratic, open-source fashion: Sony's Naughty Dog,
> Media Molecule and Santa Monica Studio, Konami's Metal Gear Solid,
> etc. It's a combination of (1) dissident artists who respect open
> source principles, (2) sales are determined by fans, not by
> advertising or networks, and (3) active and cerebral fan communities
> pushing back against corporate greed.
Do 1, 2 and 3 represent a challenge to capitalist economics?
Valve's web site says it has been "boss free" since 1996, yet it appears to be structured as a conventional LLC. There have been state-initiated innovations in recent years such as the LLC Co-op, which perhaps is an end-run around the usual federally-mandated employer/employee obligations. Is Valve on of those?