This holiday season ZAM celebrated twelve of their favorite games of the past and present, as well as some that we're anticipating! In case you didn't catch all twelve days, here's a recap:

With Flex Raiding proving to be more popular than Normal in World of Warcraft, it came as little surprise when, at Blizzcon, Blizzard announced its intention to apply Flex scaling to both Normal and Heroic difficulties (10 and 25).

On the 11^th day of gaming ZAM gave to thee the most awesome column ever, and last week was the 11^th month anniversary of The Scrying Pool, my Guild Wars 2 column here on ZAM.

If there is one developer that has defined my gaming experience best over the last 20 years it's Blizzard Entertainment. Not only have I been a  fan of the Warcraft franchise since the original RTS title was released in 1994, but they have also delivered two additional franchises that have captivated my attention on and off again across multiple titles, expansions, genres and platforms.

In fact the only game or game-world that has even come close to holding my interest to the same extend is League of Legends, if not in sheer number of years than at least in time spent in game. Unlike the unbridled affection I have for the immense depth of character of the three expertly crafted Blizzard franchises, League of Legends holds my attention primarily because of the engrossing MOBA game-play it offers.

So at the very first mention of Blizzard developing its own MOBA (or online team brawler as they prefer to call it), as well as the rebranding and continued development of the project, I am not ashamed to admit that I am more than a little excited.

Wurm Online is a unique game that I had the pleasure of discovering almost three years ago (although the game has been out since 2006) and it has held my heart ever since. In it, players are able to sculpt the land, battle fierce creatures (including each other), craft an extensive number of items and claim property as their own. Each year has brought numerous updates that further enhanced the worlds as well as the players living there.

This year players have seen some of the most intense updates yet, starting with graphic revamps. Artists have been posting their progress to the forums where players can communicate and openly share their opinions. Having such a hands-on approach has done wonders for the game, and of course it doesn’t stop there.

On the eighth day of gaming Carbine gave to me; Eight Wild Races

With winter finally here it means the spring of WildStar’s launch is that much closer. In order to help celebrate ZAM’s eighth day of gaming, I thought it would be good for us to talk about these eight races and their involvement in the over-arching story of WildStar. And with me being a lore nerd, what better way to bring in the New Year than to share some WildStar history with you all.

You see, It all began with the mysterious and ancient hyper-advanced race known as the Eldan. Planet Nexus used to be their home until the entire race suddenly disappearaed without a trace. How does the most advanced group of people in the galaxy suddenly vanish you ask? Well, that'll be up for you to find out upon completing your descent to this legendary planet. However, what I can say is that whether you’re with the races of the Exiles or the Dominion, you’ll have a reason to fight for Planet Nexus. Let’s begin!

Norrath is a magical place. It has endured so many people and changes. It has stood the test of time and has left a plethora of dedicated, fanatical gamers in its wake. Not everyone has stayed through all the years, but even those of us who have moved on have many fond memories to look back on.

Though I’ve kept an active EverQuest account and pop in to chat with friends and dink around from time-to-time, the last time I seriously buckled down and played was during the Seeds of Destruction era. Over so many years I’ve forged more memories than I can recount in a single article. While reading through the many great stories of people talking about their favorite places in Norrath for the recent EverQuest Franchise Contest (which ends tonight!), it kindled the fire to share some of my memories of the game with you all as well.

Sadly, many screenshots of my early memories are lost to time, but I did finally settle on my seven memories of Norrath!

After days of travel through forest and plains, your destination is now close at hand. Your contact back at the tavern was tight-lipped about specifics, but so far the map he sold you lines up with his tale as the cavern entrance lies at the foot of the mountain just as the X shows. Sure, he missed the minor parts like having to tramp through the undead-filled swamp or that the trading road he suggested went through raider territory but, if the treasure within is as great as he promised, it'll be worth the trouble. Those scorch marks and deeply cut grooves around the cave entrance are a bit troubling though...

Sure I could have just come out and said today's episode is about Dungeons and Dragons, but I'm a DM - I have to ham it up. I think it's in the Dungeon Master's Guide somewhere.

It was 1998. The table I sat at in eigth grade math class was considered the "geek" table, and there was always one thing on our minds when we gathered 'round before class began: Starcraft. As a game that was considered a common late-night or weekend venture, none of us cared much for any activities indoors besides Blizzard's futuristic RTS game. Fast-forward fifteen years later and the one memorable line from Starcraft II's trailer that resonates in everyone's mind is "It's about time." Indeed it is about time, because who would have thought such an IP would have solidified itself for a decade and a half? Now nine months after the first expansion, Heart of the Swarm, there's no sign of this game stopping in terms of popularity.

Did you know that the word “duck” not only refers to the animal, but also to sail canvas? Who said that video games couldn’t be educational?!

A few months ago I didn’t even consider the fact that I would play an Assassin’s Creed title. My normal gaming genres are MMO, RPG, strategy, puzzle and a variety of Indies. I’ll occasionally break the mold for games such as the Grand Theft Auto series, but the AC titles never got my attention in the past. As increasingly more PlayStation 4 launch titles became delayed, I decided to give Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag a chance.

I honestly thought that AC4 would be a game I’d tinker around in for a few hours before leaving it abandoned for my husband to play. Instead I’ve played it at least 4-6 days each week since getting my PS4. Yeah, you can say I’m a bit addicted. Let me tell you a story of my love-hate-love relationship with Edward Kenway.