For a franchise that's finally getting its first full-fledged sequel more than 10 years after its original game was released, real-time strategy hit "StarCraft" has managed to stay on the radars of gamers worldwide through numerous expansion packs and expertly crafted gameplay. Now that's staying power.

With the release of "StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty" a mere week away, and the anticipation reaching a breaking point, we've decided to geek out ourselves and launch a fact-finding mission even the series' Terrans would appreciate. You do know what a Terran is, right? If not, you'll find the answer (and more) as we divulge 12 interesting and weird "StarCraft" facts.

1) Koreans Fly First-Class "StarCraft"
"StarCraft" is kind of a big deal in South Korea. As a result, Korean Air branded two of its jets with "StarCraft II" art. Science has yet to prove whether flying is safer when there is a giant space marine painted on an airplane, but it can't hurt, right?

2) Professional "StarCraft" Players Have Something in Common With Professional Athletes: They Cheat
Losing intentionally and illegally betting on games are no longer limited to actual sports, thanks to a South Korean scandal that saw nearly a dozen professional players implicated in illicit activities surrounding "StarCraft" matches. Sorry, 1919 Chicago White Sox and Pete Rose, you've got some nerdy Korean company.

3) "StarCraft" Is Home-Console-Unfriendly
The only home video game console to get a "StarCraft" title was the Nintendo 64, with the appropriately yet unimaginatively titled "StarCraft 64." Besides that one tryst, the series has remained exclusive to the PC and Mac platforms. As of now there are no plans to bring "StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty" to the Xbox360, PS3 or Wii.

4) "StarCraft" Has Seen the Vast Emptiness of Space
Astronaut Daniel Barry took one giant leap for nerd-kind by bringing a copy of "StarCraft" with him into space. Reveling in the inherent irony of bringing a video game about killing evil space bugs along while you actually circle Earth in a spaceship, the developers requested the intergalactic game CD and now keep it at Blizzard HQ.

5) It's a Guinness World Record Holder
"StarCraft" broke into the Guinness Book of World Records for being the best-selling PC Strategy Game of all time, topping 9.5 million copies sold worldwide. We can only imagine how many billions of bases and hives were built in the process.

6) The "StarCraft" Game That Never Was
"StarCraft: Ghost" is an unreleased game that began development around 10 years ago and was set to bring the RTS franchise into the third-person-action space on Xbox, PS2 and GameCube. It was only in 2006 (after all three systems had made way for their follow-ups) that the game was said to be on "indefinite hold." And you thought the wait for "StarCraft II" was long. Some gamers still hold a torch for the title, praying protagonist Nova (pictured) gets her shot at fame some day.

7) "StarCraft II" is Only the Beginning
Like many big-budget video game releases these days ("Mass Effect," "God of War"), "Starcraft II" is the first part of a trilogy. If history is any indication, you can look forward to "StarCraft III" in 2021. By then you'll be playing it on a hovering virtual display projected from tiny cameras implanted in your eyeballs.

8) "StarCraft" Players Have Jedi-Like Hand Speed
To succeed at competitive "StarCraft," it's important to have a high APM (actions per minute). Some hardcore players are able to achieve a mind-boggling 300-plus APM. Remember that the next time you pat yourself on the back for being able to type 70 words per minute.

9) "StarCraft" Is a YouTube Sensation
YouTube hosts around 182,000 "StarCraft"-related videos -- many with millions of views. The number of productivity hours lost in total across the country to people watching epic Protoss vs. Zerg battles while at work is probably also close to that number.

10) The Best Players Make Bank
Being good at "StarCraft" pays off. Korean player Lee Yun-Yeol is the LeBron James of professional gaming, signing a three-year deal worth $690,000. And that's disregarding the inherent celebrity status professional players enjoy over there.

11) "StarCraft" Has Contributed to the Gamer Dictionary
Video game–related slang is nothing new (n00b, pwned, kekeke), but "StarCraft" birthed a verb that is neither insulting nor based on a typo. "Zerg" means to bum-rush and devastate with overwhelming numbers. It's a reference to the alien race of bugs that are typically used to perform such a tactic. Merriam-Webster does not recognize the word ... yet.

12) "StarCraft" Is Played Over the Largest Online Gaming Service in the World
Battle.net, Blizzard's free online gaming service that hosts "StarCraft" (and a little game called "World of Warcraft"), has 12 million registered users -- nearly the entire population of Pennsylvania. Let's just hope they never get together, take over a state and secede from the union.

Even if you've never played "StarCraft" and have zero interest in "StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty" (what kind of gamer are you?!), prepare to be inundated by commercials and ads as its July 27 release date nears.