It looks like Aion is moving forward and away from the pay to play model and moving into the free to play / micro transactions realm.  They are following Lineage II's "Truly Free" model that was quite popular.

In the past I was excited for this game (I even compared it to WoW.) and only ended up playing for about 5 months.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing the game the last time I played and to be honest I don't remember why I stopped playing. I plan to start playing again but this time I have a friend who wants to try it out with me.

The 3.0 patch is going live today and they are raising the level cap as well as adding all kinds of new stuff.  I plan on starting over with my friend and will report in when I see any differences.

That's right! Today's the day! Guild Wars 2 is now available for Pre-Purchase! Needless to say I'm pretty excited about the game, as I didn't get to play in any of the recent beta's.

I purchased the Digital Deluxe version of the game. Why? Because if I wanted a figurine I'd just get the Plushie from the Penny Arcade store. Its so much cuddlier.

When do Beta Weekend Events (BWEs) start, and how many will there be?

The first BWE is currently planned for late April, and we expect to have one every month or so. The schedule is subject to change and will be confirmed at a later date. Currently, we do not know how many of these events we will have."

Looks like there's going to be a beta at the end of this month and I'll be there letting you know all about my experience.  By the way remember if you Pre-Purchase the game you'll be able to get into all of the beta weekends up until release.  Also keep in mind that you will not have to pay a monthly fee for this MMORPG.

See you all there!