State of GTG - January 2017

I don't know if you knew this, but it is January already!

So, how are things going at GTG? December is an incredibly hectic month for us (as it is for many people), but we've gotten a number of things done, and a number of other things have progressed since last month.

1. Our new warehouse management system implementation is coming along, and is on track for a mind-January roll out, as anticipated. We have a whole new shipping area setup that we are absolutely loving.
2. Christopher and Adam have been hard at work on The Letters Page podcast, a weekly podcast about Sentinel Comics lore.  It is something that we promised years ago and are finally getting close to releasing. I'll let Christopher provide more details on that when he is ready.
3. We've been working through cleaning up and figuring out how to best use our various mailing lists and social media accounts. We used December to experiment with "weekly deals" on the mailing list (don't worry, we won't send weekly emails every, or even most, months). We've also launched an email list for Citizens, as I mentioned last month, and one for distributors (not that most people reading this will care about that last one, but it is exciting for me :) )
4. Jenn has been hard at work on our next Kickstarter project even though it doesn't launch until the end of February! She posted a teaser image today: https://twitter.com/GTGJennifer/status/816344465971486724
5. Multiverse Month is coming up! I'll let Craig and Mara post more info about this, but like we have done the past two years, we are going to be sending promo cards and other materials to any stores that are interested in featuring specific games on specific weekends in January and February. If any of you have a local gameing store that is interseted, have them email craig@greaterthangames.com for more info!

I also want to update you all on our convention schedule for 2017! We've got that mostly ironed out, so here we are, in order!

1. PAX South - Craig will be attending and will be running demos in a small booth with some Citizens
2. NY Toy Fair - Jenn and Mara will be attending to see what that side of the industry is up to, but we won't have a booth.
3. PAX East - Everyone from will be there! Our booth will be huge and big! Come see us! Except for Christopher and Craig, who will be on...
4. JoCo Cruise - Christopher will be running demos on a boat!
5. GAMA Trade Show - Chrisopher, Mara, and I will attend because our distributor and retailer customers say we have to
6. UK Games Expo - We'll have a much bigger presence there this year, plus more people! Christopher, Mara, Jenn, Craig, and I will all be attending. We might even have time to do an event in London the week before the show! Stay tuned!
7. Origins - Christopher, Jenn, and Chris Kirkman will be there, but we will not have a booth.
8. Gen Con - The biggest every! Gen Con 50! Come see everyone in our booth and room! SO MANY EXCITING THINGS WILL HAPPEN!!!
9. PAX Prime - Craig will run a small booth
10. Essen Spiel - Paul and Mara will go, and Jenn and Christopher might, but we won't have a booth.

Phew... That's a ton of shows.

We've also been working on clearing our project backlog! Here is the status of all of our works in progress!

In Stock Since Last Month

1. SotM: Enhanced Edition, Rook City & Infernal Relics, Vengeance, Omnitron-IV, & Wager Master.
2. Belle of the Ball (This one is a cool old Dice Hate Me title that has been out for 2 years! Check it out if you haven't!)
3. Great Heartland Hauling reprint

Shipping to Backers

1. The Metagames KS (Time Management, Traitor Mechanic, and Trick Taking)
2. New Bedford errata tiles
3. Shattered Timelines & Wrath of the Cosmos to OblivAeon "Everything Ever" backers

In Transit; Scheduled Delivery late-January

1. Some more SotM reprints.
2. Deck Building: The Deck Building Game reprint
3. Compounded reprint
4. Brew Crafters reprint

In Mass Production

1. Lazer Ryderz
2. Exoplanets
3. Viva Java
4. Viva Java: The Dice Game

At Factory; Pre-Press Work

1. Spirit Island
2. Fate of the Elder Gods
3. Bottom of the 9th: Clubhouse (also still waiting on a few late art pieces)
4. SotM: Ultimate Collector's Case

OblivAeon is still in progress, but is coming along very well. I'm hoping to have news that it is being sent to the factory when I update you next month!

So, what are we going to be working on for the bulk of 2017? Here are the things I can tell you about!

Current WIP Focus by GTG

1. Completing OblivAeon
2. Sentinel Comics: The Role Playing Game
3. A sweet Fabled Nexus title that will be on Kickstarter in late February.
4. Prime War
5. A new and improved website.

Anyway, that's all for this month! In future updates, I'll stick with the Works in Progress section, but if there are any particular questions or things you'd like me to talk about in addition to that stuff, definitely let me know!

I'll see you next month, if not before!

Good to see the new year is starting off well.

Christopher and Adam have been hard at work on The Letters Page podcast, a weekly podcast about Sentinel Comics lore.  It is something that we promised years ago and are finally getting close to releasing. I'll let Christopher provide more details on that when he is ready.

I've been hurt before Paul. Don't go breaking my heart all over again.

I can confirm this.

A shiny new website slated for this year? You had my curiosity but now you have my full attention!

Thanks for the updates.  I really hope we finally get the Letters Page.   

Belle of the Ball's in stock? I don't see it on the store. :(

Thanks for pointing that out! Fixed! https://greaterthangames.com/store/belle-of-the-ball

Thanks, Paul! Looking great so far!

I'm assuming Citizens are the volunteers that have helped/will help at events, and as such, am wondering how one might qualify for said email list =]

What RySmith6 said!

At the bottom of the January newsletter:

Greater Than Games needs your help to run demos in your friendly local gaming store and during exciting conventions!

Become a Greater Than Games Citizen and help us bring all of our games to even more people!

Haven't gotten any newsletter or email from GtG this month since the Christmas sale stuff.

It was dated 12-6 but it said “January Newsletter”.

thanks for the update. I actually have a couple of requests for multiverse month based off experience from the last couple years.

1) we need info soon. My local store will do stuff but they need details to start advertising. Otherwise knowing them they won't bother emailing for the promo cards and or do even host it. So hopefully Craig and Mara can post something on this soon.

2) please create a google doc of places that are participating and location and post the link. You guys are sending the promos to the stores so you have a list already. This way Craig and Mara  don't have to answer 10000 emails or posts of where is the closest store participating to someone and we can actually find a store without calling all over the place. 

Second separate question. The ultimate collector case is at the printers but oblivaeon is not? Does this mean the collectors box may show up before oblivaeon to backers?

Unlikely. It seems to me that the Collector’s Case is a very complicated object, likely to require more than one physical proof, while the actual content of OblivAeon is for simpler from the printer’s point of view.

What dpt said!

The collector's case is in the middle of a complex R&D back-and-forth with the printer. OblivAeon, on the other hand, is super simple to print once the rules and art are done.

one could only hope

1. PAX South - Craig will be attending and will be running demos in a small booth with some Citizens

Yay. I'm going to PAX South... Glad to hear you'll have a presence there!

Last year I thought about trying to do something for the Anniversary month, but I was too busy and I never heard anythng in my local stores.

I'm hoping things are different this year, but probably not.

Also, can't wait to see Spirit Island claiming that list and getting shipped soon.

Don’t let your dreams be dreams!

I’m volunteering with the store to run these myself.

Officially volunteering myself as tribute to help out at Expo again, I had a great time last year. :)

@Silverleaf

Woo! Awesome!

We'll be much more organized this year because I'm bringing people who know what they are doing (i.e., Craig and Jenn).

Also volunteering again. Already got in touch with the Community Overlord for details.

Silverleaf! You're here!

If there's gonna be a thing in London I might be interested, depending on more specifically when and where it is...

Seemed pretty organised to me last year, but a big YAY for more people anyway. I haven't ticked a Jenn off my list yet…

Shoukd be fun!

checks self

Oh yes, I do appear to be here. Hooray!

Hey, Paul--

Is the crew going Origins actively looking at new designs?  I have two board game prototypes that I think would be a good fit for >G, one as a Dice Hate Me Rabbit title, and another as a bigger-box flagship design.

If so, could we look at setting up a time to meet?  PM me, if you would like.

Cheers!

Question: If someone purchased New Beford/its expansion from GTG, but not from the Kickstarter (for example: I purchased my copy at PAX), how do they go about getting the errata tiles?

@PlatinumWarlock

We aren't planning to have a presence at Origins this year except perhaps one or two people for some marketing meetings. Will you be at Gen Con or any of the PAX shows?

@bobbertoriley

Just send an email to craig@greaterthangames.com and he'll send them your way!

@Paul -- I hadn't planned on doing GenCon this year, as we have a friend's wedding in August, and the trip to Minneapolis eats the budget that we would normally set aside for GenCon.  I have every morning free at Origins, though, and all day on Sunday.  If there's a time available--even a lunch meeting, over at North Market--I'd love to set something up!

In other news-- coming to Minneapolis? Need some gaming? I’m your man!

@PlatinumWarlock

Unfortunately, I won't be at Origins at all this year.

No worries, Paul.  If you guys do start looking at outside submissions again, drop me a message.  Dayton's not that far from St. Louis, and I'm sure that my wife wouldn't mind a road trip...