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← People and their mental models

Jeff Kaplan's mental models

3 claims Jeff Kaplan made fit 3 mental models. Most often: Incentives, Make it real, Positioning. Everything they said here.

Models we see in what they say

Our reading: their claim applies the idea without naming it. The claim is theirs; filing it here is ours.

Incentives

Look at what people are rewarded for; it explains more behaviour than what they say, your own included.

Used by 84 others

Social media is built so that maximum hyperbole wins, and the negative direction pays better than the positive.

  1. Jeff Kaplan American game designer and director And unfortunately, social media in general is designed in such a way where the maximum hyperbole works, and that’s how you get the most points is by being max hyperbolic. Jeff Kaplan: World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Blizzard, and Future of Gaming | Lex Fridman Podcast #493youtube.com · 11 Mar 2026 · 2:54:25 into the videoAll korrents from this video
    Their wordsAnd unfortunately, social media in general is designed in such a way where the maximum hyperbole works, and that’s how you get the most points is by being max hyperbolic.

    Where this was said

    Watch from 2:54:25 plays here

    ↗Jeff Kaplan: World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Blizzard, and Future of Gaming | Lex Fridman Podcast #493youtube.com

    11 Mar 2026 · video · 5h 10m · spoken · official transcript

Make it real

Build a prototype; it settles arguments a description cannot.

Used by 25 others

A game must be incubated by the smallest possible group with whatever technology is to hand, and the team expanded only once the idea is proved.

  1. Jeff Kaplan American game designer and director The right way to incubate a video game is you have the smallest group possible and you try to get the idea across with whatever technology you can get your hands on, using other engines, using art from whatever. You prove out that idea, and once you know what you’re doing, then you expand the team. Jeff Kaplan: World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Blizzard, and Future of Gaming | Lex Fridman Podcast #493youtube.com · 11 Mar 2026 · 3:14:50 into the videoAll korrents from this video
    Their wordsThe right way to incubate a video game is you have the smallest group possible and you try to get the idea across with whatever technology you can get your hands on, using other engines, using art from whatever. You prove out that idea, and once you know what you’re doing, then you expand the team.

    Where this was said

    Watch from 3:14:50 plays here

    ↗Jeff Kaplan: World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Blizzard, and Future of Gaming | Lex Fridman Podcast #493youtube.com

    11 Mar 2026 · video · 5h 10m · spoken · official transcript

Positioning

Set up your situation, rules and defaults so the good choice is the easy one, instead of relying on willpower.

Used by 21 others

You design along the path of least resistance: players will take the cheapest route to their goal, so the designer's job is to put the experience they want played on that route.

  1. Jeff Kaplan American game designer and director And I’ve heard it outside of Blizzard, other people in the industry, which is you design along the path of least resistance. Jeff Kaplan: World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Blizzard, and Future of Gaming | Lex Fridman Podcast #493youtube.com · 11 Mar 2026 · 1:56:20 into the videoAll korrents from this video
    Their wordsAnd I’ve heard it outside of Blizzard, other people in the industry, which is you design along the path of least resistance.

    Where this was said

    Watch from 1:56:20 plays here

    ↗Jeff Kaplan: World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Blizzard, and Future of Gaming | Lex Fridman Podcast #493youtube.com

    11 Mar 2026 · video · 5h 10m · spoken · official transcript