Happy New Year dear readers, and welcome to the January issue of Game Trade Magazine! Winter is now fully upon us and it’s that time of year best spent enjoying only the finest of hot cocoas (with marshmallows if you prefer, we’re not savages after all) and playing games with family and friends!

There’s no finer time to dust off that old favorite in your game library and inviting folk over for a grand night of gaming! Or, perhaps, you would like to try something new? Well, you’re in luck because there’s certainly no shortage of truly FANTASTIC games out there just waiting for you to pick them up and give them a shake, rattle, and roll. 

I’ve often said that there’s no better time to be gamer and from the looks of the Games Section in this issue, truer words were never spoken.  I mean, can you think of a time with a more diverse offering of games and accessories in our industry? Because I certainly can’t.  In fact, my greatest challenge has been finding time and places to play!

Fortunately, Baltimore, MD (where Yours Truly is headquartered) is a smorgasbord of game-friendly stores and locales; from weekly events to monthly get-togethers at local businesses like pubs and restaurants, we’re definitely pretty lucky and believe-you-me, I get out as often as possible to see what the newest “hot” game is going to be, as well as enjoy steadfast favorites. 

But, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my other favorite game-related pastime for the winter months – painting miniatures! I don’t know about you, but I accumulate miniatures and painting supplies far faster than I can use them and the winter months are a PERFECT time for me to get caught up with some good ol’ fashioned minis painting and kit-bashing.

And, on that note, I would like to invite you to enjoy what will be a new staple in GTM, “By The Numbers”. In this new column, Corey Perez and Luke Hardy will be discussing (and demonstrating) various painting and modelling techniques with a variety of figures and paint sets.  I hope you enjoy reading their articles as much as we did creating them. 

We’re kicking off 2017 with an issue jam-packed with some pretty cool content this month, so sit back, relax with a mug of cocoa, and enjoy!

-JG 

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Bringing you the future of gaming - one month at a time - GTM (Game Trade Magazine) is your one-stop monthly resource for the latest, up-to-the-minute product information in the world of games and hobby supplies! Packed with reviews, previews, product excerpts, exclusive scenarios, giveaways and collectible inserts from your favorite games and manufacturers, there’s no better source to feed your gaming needs!

GTM #203 is shipping to arrive in your store this week, and we encourage you to pass copies along to your gaming customers and hobby enthusiasts. And, point them (and your browser) to GTM's virtual gateway at: www.gametrademagazine.com!