Get some context on my blog: http://is.gd/1jDa7 Recently at the Art Institute of Portland, I gave a presentation to my Advanced Scripting class on lessons web app developers can take from World of Warcraft. While playing one night, I stopped and pondered all of the things that just work. I began to consider why WoW was so wildly successful and thought about what I could take from my experience as a player and apply to web development.

1. Lessons from
May 18th, 2009

2. What’s the big deal?

3. 11.5
Million players

4. 2001
Development started before

5. 671
Minutes per week

6. Jack Me Some Lumber
680,000

7. ≈

12. ickr.com/photos/broken4art/3310803596/

13. ickr.com/photos/bitzi/293639007/

14. 13:37

15. $

17. 75
Days logged in

18. $727.48
Over 4 years

20. Time

21. 3
Years

22. 3+1
Years

23. Lesson
Spending the time to
do it right, even when
others beat you to the
punch, works quite well.
(Save for Windows Vista)

24. Iterate

27. Patch 1.02
Patch 1.03
Patch 1.04
Patch 1.05
Patch 1.06
Patch 1.07
Patch 1.08
Patch 1.09
Patch 1.10
Patch 1.11
Patch 1.12
Patch 2.0.12
Patch 2.1.3
Patch 2.2.0
Patch 2.3.0
Patch 2.4.3
Patch 3.0.9
Patch 3.1.1

35. Apology?

36. No!

37. Lesson
Change your app to
make it better and
defend your decisions.

38. But!

39. Listen

47. www. ickr.com/photos/batgrl/3027016916/

48. Lesson
Change your app, but
base your decisions on
real feedback.

49. Addict

55. Lesson
Create something unex-
pectedly addictive, and
introduce it slowly.

56. Customize

57. 3,993
Addons

61. Lesson
Give your community
tools to customize their
experience, but don't
be afraid to work with
them to better the core
experience.

62. Charge

63. $50.00

64. $40.00

65. $30.00

66. $20.00

67. $14.99

68. $13.99

69. $12.99

70. $80
Now

71. $220
Then

72. 64%
Cheaper

73. Lesson
If you're charging for
your app, make it
cheaper over time.

74. Dazzle

82. Lesson
Even with web
limitations, make your
app gorgeous.

83. Fin