The pandaren are a new race being introduced with the upcoming Mists of Pandaria expansion for World of Warcraft. Currently the expansion’s beta is underway, and we’re receiving updated news about the game as the weeks draw on. This week we have gotten word of what the new race’s mount will be, and it’s a bit surprising. The pandaren mount will be a Dragon Turtle.

I know what you’re thinking, “Raine, how in the world will this mount even make sense? Turtles are slow, aren’t they?” You ask the same questions as many others, young grasshopper. There are a lot of players who think this mount simply doesn’t make sense even in the Pandaria setting. Others, however, think the mount just looks cool.

Apparently the pandaren have long been looking for a mount that embodies their core values: patience and strength. The Dragon Turtle has armored hide, stoutness, and a relaxed attitude that welcomes long journeys. This animal is indigenous to Pandaria, thus making treks across the island feel just like another walk in the park. It will be outfitted with maps, cushions, footstools, and even some brew storage for those hardy adventurers.

Now the second question comes into mind: how fast will it be? Though the description on the original post claims that it’s got a “slow, even stride,” I think the mount will work much the same as the Kodo mounts do for the Tauren. It will move to scale with other mounts, but do so with ease. I think the Dragon Turtle is pretty sweet, and I’d love to have one.

Starting this week MechWarrior Online will be entering its first closed beta testing session. Piranha Games has revealed how players can gain guaranteed early access to the game this summer as well, and it’s got fans ready to jump into their pilot seats.

The way to grab guaranteed early access to the game is to take part in OPERATION INCEPTION. This event is an elusive MechWarrior Online Founder’s Program which will go on sale June 19^th. It will offer fans of the franchise benefits such as in-game currency, a custom ELITE BattleMech, a two-month free premium account, a permanent Founder’s Tag and even more. There will be two versions of this promotion available to players:

$60 ELITE Founder’s Package Includes:

• Exclusive custom “Founder’s BattleMech.” This Mech includes a lifetime, per-match C-Bill booster.
• $80 value of in-game currency* for in-game item purchases.
• Two-month premium account to MechWarrior Online at launch: Earn XP & C-Bills faster.Founder’s Tag – sets your status apart from the crowd & get noticed in-game and on the forums.
• Early access to the game along with Founder’s assets availability starts July 17th.

$30 VETERAN Founder’s Package Includes:

• $40 value of in-game currency* for in-game item purchases.
• One-month premium account to MechWarrior Online at launch: Earn XP & C-Bills faster.
• Founder’s Tag – sets your status apart from the crowd & get noticed in-game and on the forums.
• Early access to the game along with Founder’s assets availability starts July 17th.

Both of these packages will be available starting July 17^th. From what I’ve been able to see MechWarrior Online looks like it will be quite the exciting game. Players can really take the series in a new direction and enjoy tons of multiplayer action. I’ve been a fan of mech titles for a while and this one looks like it will deliver what fans want to see.

DC Universe’s latest DLC pack is called The Last Laugh, and the cast of voice actors playing the characters has been revealed. The pack will feature the return of some of DC’s most famous voice stars, including Arleen Sorkin, Adam Baldwin, and of course, Mark Hamill. That’s right kiddos, the J-Man is coming back to mess with all of us.

Mark Hamill has been providing the Joker with a voice for years, and as far as I’m concerned he’s the only Joker I’ll ever know. I mean, Luke Skywalker is pretty awesome on his own, but to think he became the Joker too is mind-blowing. Arleen Sorkin will return as Harley Quinn, taken from the recent Batman: Arkham series of games, and Adam Baldwin lends his voice once again to Superman.

The Last Laugh pack will include an all-new weapon, hours of multiplayer, and brand new Legends PVP characters. The new weapon is being called The Shield, and with it players can unleash the weapon’s power to bash opponents or knock them back from a distance. New to multiplayer, teams can invade each other’s safe houses, meaning no one is safe. Legends Characters will be available to players, introducing Kilowog – a Green Lantern, and Amon Sur – a member of the Sinestro Corps. For DC Universe Online Legendary players the new DLC will be free of charge. Free and Premium players can purchase it on the PlayStation Network Store and the DC Universe Online official site.

I’m sure that there have been many gamers out there who have had dreams of being in their favorite games. I know I have. I’ve dreamt about blasting grubs with Marcus Fenix, helping Isaac on the Ishimura, and even slaying demons right alongside Dante. Gamers always want to find a way to bring their virtual worlds to life, and each day that passes grants new hope. Not only do these worlds create hope, they create a sense of inspiration. One such gamer used this inspiration to take a journey herself, with the faithful company of her canine at her side.

Meet Kelly Wells and her dog, Anna. Kelly is an avid Guild Wars player and logs on to the game as much as she can. Kelly ended up using the inspiration that she derived from the game to set out on a quest, and it was quite the long one. Kelly, with the help of her trusted dog Anna, made a journey across America – all on foot.

“One day I was playing Guild Wars, running around in Ascalon, helping pig farmers round up their pigs and little girls find their flutes, and I thought, ‘Man, I wish I could live here. Just running around, seeing the land, helping people in need, and having adventures.’ Then came the epiphany: Why the heck not?”

Kelly settled on the idea after watching a video entitled “Gaming Can Make a Better World,” when she heard Jane McGonigal speak about how awesome it would be if gamers took to real-life challenges with the same determination, passion, and excitement with which they undertake gaming challenges. After hearing the lecture, Kelly made up her mind.

Kelly and Anna walked from Maine all the way to California. Once she made it all the way to San Diego her mom greeted her for the trek back home. Kelly described her mission on her website for the adventure, explaining that her aim was:

To explore the US while reaching waypoints, meeting new characters, and completing quests. As I advance through my Mission, I hope to unlock new quests along the way. If you have a worthy quest, feel free to send it on my way and I will add it to my quest log.

As you can see, Kelly really took the MMO approach to things, using RPG elements in her own open-world adventure. She did meet many new characters along the way and completed enough quests to ensure she was a high enough level to make it to the end. Before the journey was over, however, she decided to stop in at AreaNet, the developer of the game which inspired the entire adventure.

Kelly was ecstatic to have met the AreaNet staff, and while a game they created inspired her, the story of her journey in-turn inspired them. Game Designer Linsey Murdock was particularly touched, and she said:

“I think that what Kelly did is one of the coolest things I have ever heard of! Ever! I’ve always been impressed by fans who get tattoos inspired by their favorite game, but to be motivated to take an epic journey across the country on foot with your trusty animal companion? That’s magical. It’s something immediately shot up to the top of my list of reasons to be incredibly proud to be a game developer.”

After listening to Kelly’s story and learning of her adventure, the developers wanted to use her inspiration to do something even greater in the world they created. They sat down and decided to create both Kelly and Anna in the world of Tyria so they could journey along forever. When playing Guild Wars 2 you can now find Ameranth, a sylvari who is adventuring across the land with her companion Anna. This is a huge gift for Kelly as a player, and it’s the dream of many more out there. Congratulations to you Kelly and may you serve as an inspiration to the rest of us gamers around the world.

It looks like a retail ad posted at a Fry’s location in Texas listed a possible release date for the upcoming Guild Wars 2 MMO. The photo above was taken at the retailer and comes courtesy of Kotaku. As of now, Guild Wars 2 still has an unannounced release date.

NCsoft has responded to the original post of the photo saying, “We have not released an official launch date within 2012 as feedback from our closed and open marketing betas will help us determine an exact release date.” From the statement it looks like Guild Wars 2 won’t be releasing in 2012, though that’s an assumption. Of course fans would love to get the game in June, or just this year for that matter.

When looking at the projected date on the ad there’s a lot to consider. Like NCsoft mentioned, the beta is still running and the developer is still pulling data from it. Having the game release in June would push the beta to a close rather quickly, defeating the purpose of leaving it in its open stages. Players are still pre-ordering the game and getting beta access as we speak. Also, some retailers like to put in placeholder dates on games based off of their own estimates. This could be one of those dates, though we don’t really know for sure. If NCsoft makes an actual announcement on when the game will launch, we’ll let you know.

The Secret World has been hitting fairly low on the radar since its original announcement. Fans have been actively taking part in The Secret War, an ad campaign for the different factions found in the game, though it hasn’t been too mainstream. Most of us have been wondering just what’s happening with the PC game’s development, though our questions haven’t been readily answered. Now, however, we’ve gotten some news that should help raise excitement once again for the new MMO.

The first beta for the game will roll out today at 6 PM CET/12 PM EST. This will be the first in many open beta weekends that the game will host. For this weekend players will take part in Kingsmouth Calling, where everyone will join up the ranks as a Templar. After meeting with your secret society liason in London you’ll be sent to Kingsmouth, a small town on Solomon Island. Strange events have been occurring in this place and you’ll need to investigate its myths and mysteries.

Character progress in the beta will carry over from weekend to weekend which is pretty nice. The way to score a slot in this, and upcoming beta weekends, is to pre-order the game. You’ll get some nice perks, such as early access to the game, character name reservation, a ring that boosts EXP, a t-shirt, and even an in-game pet that grants player buffs. If you’re looking to jump into some beta testing for The Secret World, now is your chance.

For those of you who have been waiting for the chance to try out Spirit Tales, it is now your time to shine. The open beta for this MMORPG kicks off today, and you will have tons of things to explore. This free-to-play game is sure to win your heart, as you not only play as a cute little creature, but you also get to annihilate cute little creatures as well. There’s something for everyone.

Some of the fancy features of this open beta are a level 45 cap, 40 million customization options for your character, and an enhanced pet system, in which you can capture and train new companions. You can level up your pets, or merge with them to gain new strength. For your guild, you will be able to build a private zone that will give you access to special buffs and content.

If you should like, you can also enter into a relationship with either the opposite or same gender, and get special abilities from it. There will also be new fancy dungeons to enter, and sigil stones which can enhance your armor. Well, now you know what to expect, so get out there and play!

In a patch that’s set to release next week, fans of the new MMO Tera will see blood returning to the game. Frogster, the publisher for the European version of the game, announced that the patch, which they’re calling 1.0.29, will add-in the blood detail slider to the game’s options as well as some other features. In Europe the game launched last week with a PEGI12 rating without any blood detail, which caused the player base to start quite a riot.

Frogster Community Manager Lucile Le Merle spoke with Eurogamer saying, “The only major different with the North American version of Tera is the blood splatter effect, which only appears in the tutorial of the game at the moment, is not going to appear in our game. It’s going to be a slightly modified effect. But the blood is coming back.”

Like previously mentioned, the addition of blood to the game isn’t the only new feature that will come from the patch. Guilds will be able to upload an Emblem in order to help stand out against others. There was an issue at first with these Emblems, but Frogster has worked together with Bluehole to bring the system back into the game. Changes will come to the chat filter as well, which many gamers have raised complaints about. I know while I was playing the US version this was an issue for me. Some words that should be censored aren’t, but what’s worse is that words that shouldn’t be censored are. There’s a bug in the game that causes the chat not to update properly. There will also be some minor bug fixes that’ll be pushed into the game.

There’s no announcement of a patch for the US version of Tera, though it could use one. Some issues that European players are facing have made their way stateside, and they need to be tweaked. We’ll stay on the lookout for more details, and update if any word of a US patch gets set.

An analyst for Gamesbrief seems to think that the upcoming Elder Scrolls MMO that’s being developed by Zenimax will launch being subscription-based, though it will eventually transition into Free To Play. Nicholas Lovell is that analyst, and he bases his claim off of where the current trend of the MMO market is headed. It won’t happen because of the game’s failure, but rather the natural order of the market.

I honestly can’t say I’m on one side or the other when it comes to subscription fees. I play both World of Warcraft and Star Wars: The Old Republic and I believe you get what you pay for. When it comes to MMO games there’s a lot more put into them then what a lot of gamers think. To keep the game running companies need to employ GMS, get funding in order to create patches and new expansions, and help tune up the PVP or endgame element of the title. If your game doesn’t have enough content, charging a subscription fee is useless and insulting. If your game doesn’t have a subscription fee, the amount of content eventually reaches a cap. On top of this, you’ll most likely see microtransactions.

I think that Free To Play games have their place in the industry, don’t get me wrong. I love Team Fortress 2, Ultimate Monday Night Combat, and even Lord of the Rings Online. Each of these games seems to put the Free To Play model to work, and it keeps them afloat.  Whether they secure income from microtransactions, donations, or just offering a subscription item, the games do well on their own.

Back to what Lovell said, “It’s conceivable that Bethesda will launch with a subscription service to attract the early adopters, because that’s the model they understand. They will switch to Free To Play later, in the same way many iOS games go from paid to freemium over their lifetime.” The model is believable, and he’s not pulling these facts from thin air. Whether subscription-based games are dying out or not, we can’t really say. I know I’m still having plenty of fun with WoW and SWTOR, though the latter seems to be hitting a rough spot. Blizzard has kept WoW alive for years, and the game’s still got a dedicated player base. I don’t think that making The Elder Scrolls Online release with a subscription will be a bad thing, as long as the developer works hard to deliver to their fans. What do you think?

Blizzard has announced that they’ve added account-level changes to achievements earned in World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria. The beta for WoW’s next expansion is still running strong, and players will see these changes soon within the game. The idea behind this addition is simple: Blizzard doesn’t want WoW players to focus on a single character because of achievements.

Here’s what the developer had to say in the official announcement post:

Overall, we never want you to play Character A instead of Character B because of achievement concerns. If Character A had the Violet Proto-Drake, then you might not play Character B. If Character A was only one holiday away from the Violet Proto-Drake, then you may not play Character B. If Character A had completed most of the raid achievements from Dragon Soul, you may not want to bring Character B for one fight and miss out on the achievement. Having alts is cool and working on achievements is cool, but we don’t want the two systems to work against each other.

This goal is paramount and drives everything else. If we allowed you to earn extra achievement points from completing an achievement on two different characters, then you might only want to play the character with the most points and you’d feel like you had to grind through all the achievements with every alt, thus defeating the purpose of having account-level achievements.

This is a real focal point in bringing the game back for many players. Personally, I suffer from this issue myself. I feel as if my main toon is the only one worth playing because he is the character with the most achievements and rewards. Why play my alts just to run them through the same gauntlet? Why go back and hit all of the achievements again? This new change will help eliminate that feeling and make each character players have feel more valuable and worth playing.

Of course, there are some stipulations that will stick to these new account-level achievements. Some of them are:

• Most achievements are account-wide

The meaning behind this is that you’ll earn the achievement points only once. If you earn an achievement on one toon, then you’ll see it on all toons. Though you will see the pop-up notification if a second character completes the achievement, and this is important. Blizzard still wants to recognize milestones for each character.

• Most criteria isn’t account-wide

If you start an achievement process on one toon, you can’t finish it on another. There are some exceptions, though they aren’t numerous.

• Some achievements will be “meta achievements”

These meta achievements will require you to grab other specific achievements. An example here is “What a long, strange trip it’s been.” These achievements generally are account-wide, allowing different characters to earn the sub-achievements within to gain the overall goal.

• Very few achievements are account-only

Two categories of achievements will be account-only. The first will be achievements that aren’t possible to earn on one toon. For instance, getting every class to the level cap. The second category will be those that are just “brutal” for one character alone, such as 2500 daily quests completed or 250k honorable kills.

• Rewards from achievements should be shared at the account level.

Though it isn’t promised, Blizzard wants for the achievement rewards to be at the account level as well. While the team is working on it, there will be some restrictions set in place. There’s no reason why your level 3 Orc Warrior should be walking around with the title, “Defender of a Shattered World” just because your main achieved it.  You also wouldn’t be able to use a faction-specific mount, title, or pet on the wrong faction.

 This is the type of system that Blizzard wants to develop over time, and I think it will fit really well. I strongly believe that more players will come back to the game, and the ones already playing will find it easier to share their time with different characters. A lot of players have been requesting changes like these, and Blizzard is letting us know they’re listening. More changes and details will come over time, and it looks like they’ll continue to get better.