On the fifth day of gaming, Blizzard gave to me, five million swarms!

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.

Just a touch of lore: Kerrigan's terror against Mengsk begins at the vaporization of the zerg inside of her, although she still controls some of the swarm through her mind powers. Beyond the fantastic world of Starcraft, this game has seen an incredibly successful run from humble beginnings of a real-time strategy game, to an eSport that is played by thousands across the globe. Is there an end in sight for such a franchise? All good things eventually come to an end (except for everlasting gobstoppers), but might we see a World of Starcraft (just take my money) or Starcraft III? Blizzard's plans are to release Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void soon, but it could be a few more years after the last SCII expansion releases before we hear word of a sequel, whether it be RTS, RPG or maybe even something else.

This holiday season, ZAM has picked Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm for day five of the Twelve Days of Gaming, not only because it's a fantastic game that helped launch the eSports craze, but also because it also makes a perfect gift for anyone. The campaign can be completed in a few days, but the multiplayer aspect will last a virtual lifetime.

Follow Jeffery Wright @WrightJeffD

Catch up on the other 12 Days of Gaming!