Dynamic Events >>> Rift and many other mmo’s are doing the same thing. Nothing new.
Personal Story >>> Will only go so far. This feature has probably been hyped, and by hyped I mean that it isn’t as mind-blowing as they say it to be. Possibly more meaningful for roleplayers/casuals.
Developer Philosophy >>> Dunno about this so no comment.
Art Style >>> Also part of the hype. Aion also had great artstyle so you can’t objectively say one’s better than the other.
Gameplay ?

Leveling Curve >>> This is where GW2 hits a home run. Leveling curve for anyone who can play 1 hour or 100 hours a week.
Different Races >>> nice amount of races + no playerbase division (a la asmos/elyos)
B2P >>> Aion is free-to-play.

I can honestly say GW2 is what AION should have turned out to be, but they’re dumping this game entirely for the subscription pool to purchase GW2. 

Illusions—Mesmers create illusions—mind tricks that manifest themselves physically. Most illusions are directed at a specific target, but anyone can see and attack them. They can only exist for as long as that target is alive and can only be dispelled by attacking the illusion itself. A mesmer can maintain up to three illusions at a time, with the oldest illusion being replaced by the newly created one. There are two types of illusions: clones and phantasms.

• Clones—Clones are illusions that look just like the caster, have the caster’s name, and have basic behaviors. Clones have low health and tend to do little damage. For example, a mesmer equipped with a sword has two clone-summoning skills: Leap, which launches him forward, leaving a clone at his location, and Illusionary Leap, which summons a clone at his location that then jumps forward.
• Phantasms—Phantasms are illusions that look like the caster but have their own names and carry special illusionary weapons, which look different and have specific behavior. Phantasms are more powerful, having more health and causing more damage. For example, a staff mesmer can summon an illusionary mage that attacks its target and deals extra damage for each inflicted condition.

Mantras—Mantras are a category of skill that have two phases. The mesmer first activates the mantra, which has a long cast time and replaces that skill slot with an instant-casting skill that the mesmer can then use. Mantras are powerful because many can be charged up before battle and then used in the middle of another spell, without interrupting that spell. For example, Mantra of Pain can charge up into an instant-damage power spike that can be used during a channeled spell, such as the greatsword skill. 

Blizzard official’s the latest release:The 12-year wait for Diablo III is finally coming to an end tonight at 12:00 a.m. PDT. If you’re still unsure whether the game is worth your hard-earned money or not, the Diablo III Starter Edition might just be for you.

This trial edition will give you free access to the first chapter of the game as you fight your way to the Skeleton King, but you’re limited to the first 13 levels, and your matchmaking results will only find other Starter Edition players.

Whichever category you fall into, you’re not going to want to miss  with Gary Gannon, Mike B, and myself as we record a live episode of Gameplay for your viewing pleasure. The festivities start at 11:00 p.m. PDT — see you there!

To get immediate access to the Starter Edition, you’ll need a friend who’s already bought the full game to give you their Diablo III guest pass. If you’re a loner and don’t have any buddies to hook you up, you’ll have to wait 30 days after the game’s launch, when the Starter Edition will be available to everyone.

Mesmers are magical duelists who rely on deception and confusion to keep their opponents in check. Indecision is their greatest ally. Using powerful illusions to distract, they make sure they never go toe to toe with an enemy; they use their powers and tactics to set up an unfair fight. Just when you think you’ve figured out what the mesmer is doing, illusions begin to shatter, clones start to fade away, and you realize you’ve been swinging at empty air all along. It’s hard to keep your eye on the real mesmer.

The mesmer doesn’t have the brute power of the warrior, or the ranged devastation of the ranger. Instead, the mesmer weaves a web of interlaced illusions, conditions, and phantasmal sources of damage. Through skillful play, mesmers combine these pieces into a deadly puzzle to be solved by their foes, while also helping their allies.

Illusions—Mesmers create illusions—mind tricks that manifest themselves physically. Most illusions are directed at a specific target, but anyone can see and attack them. They can only exist for as long as that target is alive and can only be dispelled by attacking the illusion itself. A mesmer can maintain up to three illusions at a time, with the oldest illusion being replaced by the newly created one. There are two types of illusions: clones and phantasms. 

Today announced that the Brazilian Portuguese-language version of its critically acclaimed massively multiplayer online role-playing game, World of Warcraft^®, which includes the content of the game’sfirst expansion, The Burning Crusade^®, is now available in stores throughout Brazil at a suggested retail price of BRL 29.90. Fully localized versions of the second and third expansions, Wrath of the Lich King^® and Cataclysm™, are also available today at a suggested retail price of BRL 99.90 each.World of Warcraftand both expansions come packaged in a DVD case and include the game media and documentation in Brazilian Portuguese. Subscription plans are available at an expected price of BRL 15 (30 days), BRL 42 (90 days), and BRL 78 (180 days).

With the launch of “Hour of Twilight” (patch 4.3) on November 29, current players on North American realms were able to begin downloading and installing a free language pack to play World of Warcraft in Brazilian Portuguese. Designated Brazilian Portuguese realms open today as an option for players who have installed the language pack or purchased the Brazilian Portuguese version of the game. Also beginning today and running through January 10, 2012, Blizzard will be offering free character moves from specific North American realms with high Brazilian populations to the new Brazilian realms 

In Diablo III, players assume the role of one of five heroic characters — barbarian, witch doctor, wizard, monk or demon hunter — and engage in pulse-pounding combat with endless legions of evil. As they undertake an epic quest to rid Sanctuary from the corrupting forces of the Burning Hells, players will explore diverse and perilous settings, grow in experience and ability, acquire artifacts of incredible power, and meet key characters who’ll join them in battle or aid them in other ways. Diablo III was built from the ground up to leverage the full functionality of Blizzard’s Battle.net platform, which delivers powerful matchmaking and communication tools, allowing players to seamlessly join forces for exciting cooperative play.

World of Warcraft players interested in getting Diablo III free are encouraged to join the more than 1 million players who have already signed up for the World of Warcraft Annual Pass.^* Through this promotion, with a 1-year commitment to World of Warcraft, players will receive a free digital copy of Diablo III — which they’ll be able to start playing immediately on May 15 — as well as an exclusive World of Warcraft in-game mount and access to the World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria^â„¢ beta test. This offer will no longer be available as of 12:01 a.m. PDT on May 1. 

The fiery gates leading to the Burning Hells have begun to swing open, and the Diablo III beta test is officially underway. Invitations to participate in the beta test are now being delivered to the chosen heroes. As with beta tests for other Blizzard Entertainment games, the testing process for Diablo III will occur in phases. In addition to selecting players who have opted in via their Battle.net accounts, we’ll also be providing keys through beta promotions and giveaways — stay tuned for more info. We welcome those invited to provide feedback or report bugs on the official forums.

If you have a beta license, you are free to show, share, or talk about any portion of the beta content to which you have access, as this beta test is not confidential.

We’d like to remind those looking forward to an invite to be wary of phishing attempts. If you believe you’ve received an invite to the Diablo III beta test, it’s best to refrain from clicking on any links in the email, and instead login to see if a Diablo III beta game account was granted. Or, if you were sent a key, attempt to add it manually by going to the Add or Upgrade a Game section of the Battle.net account management page.

For those who have received an invite to the beta test, we thank you for helping us test out our server stability and hardware. For those of you still hoping for an invite, we wish you the best of luck and hope you’ll keep an eye out for some of the beta-key giveaways and promotions we’ll have right here on the Diablo III community site. 

Blizzard Entertainment’s two-day gaming festival begins this Friday, at the Anaheim Convention Center. The sold-out show features developer discussion panels, top-tier tournament competition, the popular costume and dance contests hosted by Jay Mohr, an epic closing concert featuring Foo Fighters, and much more.

The Halloween season has finally arrived, and we’re ready to cut straight to the heart of the holiday. If you’re dying to pick up a knife and hack, gash, slash, and jab at something, then you might be excited to hear that as of October 11,  Blizzard’s 2011 Halloween Pumpkin Carving Contest has officially begun! Unleash your magical axes, psi blades, chitinous claws, and other creative cutlery to carve up Blizzard-themed jack-o’-lanterns of epic awesomeness. If you’re unclear as to what epic awesomeness looks like in the flesh, you can check out last year’s for some inspiration. 

This includes features such as an account management system, subscription engine, payment method acceptance, customer support portal, knowledge database, security, moderation and CS support tools, analytics, bot detection, and so much more. It is the aggregation of features and technology that allows us to publish and service the game efficiently and effectively. The goal is to ensure a high quality experience for our players beyond the actual gameplay, everything from account creation to customer support to billing, and all the surrounding and supporting features required for a great overall user experience. But in order to ensure a great experience, it’s extremely important to build the platform specifically tailored to the appropriate audience—in En Masse’s case, North America.

It was an incredibly busy and productive trip, but we didn’t forget to do one of the things that make working in this industry so awesome: have fun! In fact, I’m happy to report that between Pat, Adam, and me, En Masse held their own against the drinking prowess of the team at Bluehole, a feat not easily accomplished and always regrettable!This recent trip was just one of countless examples of the effort that both En Masse and Bluehole are investing into building a great game and platform for TERA players.