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Jeff Kaplan

Published podcast speaker

Claims
29
Episodes
1
Shows
1
Named items
3

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other / recommends

Zork

“Yeah, Zork was fantastic. I think it might be open source now, which I think is fabulous. But I highly recommend Zork.”

Lex Fridman Podcast · 11 Mar 2026

Evidence receipt · Source ↗

service / likes

Blizzard

“It broke me. I think after you’ve been at a place like Blizzard, which I love Blizzard.”

Lex Fridman Podcast · 11 Mar 2026

Evidence receipt · Source ↗

other / likes

Daniel Lanois

“I just… I love Daniel Lanois, so the fact that somehow Rockstar landed him and like, was able to get that song out of him.”

Lex Fridman Podcast · 11 Mar 2026

Evidence receipt · Source ↗

Claim ledger

What Jeff said.

29 transcript-backed records

04 / belief

I think everybody would have loved to have played it. And there’s a misconception online that all I cared about was PvE and I didn’t care about PvP.

“I think everybody would have loved to have played it. And there’s a misconception online that all I cared about was PvE and I didn’t care about PvP.”
Speaker
Jeff Kaplan
Publisher
Lex Fridman Podcast

08 / belief

Then there was Team Fortress Classic that came out with Half-Life 1. And then Team Fortress 2, I think everything about it blew everybody away when it came out in 2007.

“Then there was Team Fortress Classic that came out with Half-Life 1. And then Team Fortress 2, I think everything about it blew everybody away when it came out in 2007.”
Speaker
Jeff Kaplan
Publisher
Lex Fridman Podcast

09 / uncertainty

Like, if the players really are reacting to, like, the Green People planet- … or whatever, and someday you’re like, “Hey, what expansion should we make?” “I don’t know.

“Like, if the players really are reacting to, like, the Green People planet- … or whatever, and someday you’re like, “Hey, what expansion should we make?” “I don’t know.”
Speaker
Jeff Kaplan
Publisher
Lex Fridman Podcast

12 / belief

I had that, like, I think… You know, I’m no expert. I’m a game designer, so, like, as much psychology as I know is how to manipulate people into having fun, hopefully.

“I had that, like, I think… You know, I’m no expert. I’m a game designer, so, like, as much psychology as I know is how to manipulate people into having fun, hopefully.”
Speaker
Jeff Kaplan
Publisher
Lex Fridman Podcast

16 / uncertainty

” Like, “You can’t win a game like that.” And I’m like, “I don’t know, like, sitting here today, my whole career and my family are thanks to EverQuest, so I think I won the game.

“” Like, “You can’t win a game like that.” And I’m like, “I don’t know, like, sitting here today, my whole career and my family are thanks to EverQuest, so I think I won the game.”
Speaker
Jeff Kaplan
Publisher
Lex Fridman Podcast

17 / belief

Do you wanna be a game maker?” And I think we get lost in the trappings of, like a vision of what that role is- … and how to perform as a fake actor in that role.

“Do you wanna be a game maker?” And I think we get lost in the trappings of, like a vision of what that role is- … and how to perform as a fake actor in that role.”
Speaker
Jeff Kaplan
Publisher
Lex Fridman Podcast

18 / belief

Like, okay, we’re gonna design World of Warcraft now. And I’ve said this later with hindsight, I think a huge part of WoW’s success, especially with the early WoW team, Team Two in its earliest formation, was that we didn’t know what we were doing.

“Like, okay, we’re gonna design World of Warcraft now. And I’ve said this later with hindsight, I think a huge part of WoW’s success, especially with the early WoW team, Team Two in its earliest formation, was that we didn’t know what we were doing.”
Speaker
Jeff Kaplan
Publisher
Lex Fridman Podcast

19 / belief

I think, like, my reflections on it many years later, and having gone through, like, pretty crazy levels of crunch to more controlled, I think where crunch is problematic and people are good to be vocal about being opposed to it, is when it’s forced and unnecessary.

“I think, like, my reflections on it many years later, and having gone through, like, pretty crazy levels of crunch to more controlled, I think where crunch is problematic and people are good to be vocal about being opposed to it, is when it’s forced and unnecessary.”
Speaker
Jeff Kaplan
Publisher
Lex Fridman Podcast

21 / evaluation

I was actually sitting, my desk faced Morhaime’s office, and I watched them all go in and quit, and they were the group that formed Carbine… which made the game WildStar.

“I was actually sitting, my desk faced Morhaime’s office, and I watched them all go in and quit, and they were the group that formed Carbine… which made the game WildStar.”
Speaker
Jeff Kaplan
Publisher
Lex Fridman Podcast

23 / evaluation

I think maybe the first team member was a guy named John LaFleur, who was just a stellar game programmer, and the engine which ultimately failed for Titan ended up becoming the engine for Overwatch, which is a great success story for him.

“I think maybe the first team member was a guy named John LaFleur, who was just a stellar game programmer, and the engine which ultimately failed for Titan ended up becoming the engine for Overwatch, which is a great success story for him.”
Speaker
Jeff Kaplan
Publisher
Lex Fridman Podcast

26 / recommendation

To me, I would do that for eight hours ’cause I think that’s fun. But we decided in World of Warcraft, we said, why don’t we make the path of least resistance, so in this case, the way to get the best experience the fastest not to be killing creatures in one place, but will overload the experience into the quests themselves, and then that will move you through the world, which will get you to see everything.

“To me, I would do that for eight hours ’cause I think that’s fun. But we decided in World of Warcraft, we said, why don’t we make the path of least resistance, so in this case, the way to get the best experience the fastest not to be killing creatures in one place, but will overload the experience into the quests themselves, and then that will move you through the world, which will get you to see everything.”
Speaker
Jeff Kaplan
Publisher
Lex Fridman Podcast

27 / preference

Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of my favorite games of all time, and that’s a game where you can see the expertise and mastery of the game design and the narrative design, and the fact that you can have those player stories of just the goofy shit.

“Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of my favorite games of all time, and that’s a game where you can see the expertise and mastery of the game design and the narrative design, and the fact that you can have those player stories of just the goofy shit.”
Speaker
Jeff Kaplan
Publisher
Lex Fridman Podcast

28 / preference

That’s who’s gonna show up on our doorstep, so when they show up here, we should treat them like the best prop artist in the industry instead of starting from a place of doubt and cynicism. So, when that person speaks up and says, “I think…” Like, with Overwatch, for example, “I think we should do this.

“That’s who’s gonna show up on our doorstep, so when they show up here, we should treat them like the best prop artist in the industry instead of starting from a place of doubt and cynicism. So, when that person speaks up and says, “I think…” Like, with Overwatch, for example, “I think we should do this.”
Speaker
Jeff Kaplan
Publisher
Lex Fridman Podcast
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