jdodson | Cheerful Ghost

Another Month Of Cheerful Ghost Website Stats

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ywjU6RBiKXM/maxresdefault.jpg

File this under "completely nerdy stuff no one may care about" but I've thought it would be interesting to post some of our website statistics for a month. This isn't to wreck privacy or anything, mostly to get a snapshot of the average Cheerful Ghost patron. For instance, did you know what the most popular web browsers Cheerful Ghost users use?

Well, now you do.

These statistics were from December 2015.

Users

Each user hit 1.64 pages per session*

The average user session duration is about 1 minute and 49 seconds

The percentage of totally new users/sessions is 64.17% which means we have more new people looking around than site regulars

The top browser languages in order are English, UK, Spain, German and no language set

Traffic country breakdown is as follows: United States 59.69%, Canada 3.75%, United Kingdom 3.72%, Russia 3.09%, Germany 2.07%, Australia 1.88%, Brazil 1.58%, Spain 1.32% & Netherlands 1.32%

Browsers

The top browsers in order are Chrome 63.51%, Safari 14.74%, Firefox 12.73%, Internet Explorer 2.20%, Mozilla Compatable Agent 1.25%, Android Browser 1.22%, Edge 1.15%, Opera 1.09%, Safari (in-app) 0.69% & Opera Mini 0.33%

The top operating systems in order are Windows 54.82%, Mac 13.79%, Android 13.69%, iOS 13.49%, Linux 2.53%, (no set) 0.72%, Chrome OS 0.43%, Windows Phone 0.26%, Nintendo Wii 0.10%, Playstation Vita 0.10%

The top mobile operating systems in order are Android 49.41%, iOS 48.69%, Windows Phone 0.95%, Windows 0.59% & Playstation Vita 0.36%

I was surprised to see Android topping out iOS but it makes sense considering how well Android has been doing recently. Fun to see people come to the site using the Wii and Vita. I have no idea how the site looks on either anymore so i'll have to boot up my Wii to see if it's not a complete mess and since I don't have a Vita I am not sure how well that works. Oh and apparently few actual Cheerful Ghost users use Internet Explorer. I still test with it, so for the remaining hold outs, you're welcome.

* A session is basically a time someone came to the site to look around, login or comment.

Link Learning Manbos Mambo

Not sure how many videos I will create, but i'll keep them posted to the forums here. In this video Link learns Manbo's Mambo a song Link learns after completing the Angler's Tunnel. You can use the song you learn on your ocarina to take you to Crazy Tracys so you can buy potions.

The Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening Intro

After posting the video earlier of The Ballad of the Wind Fish I decided to do a few more videos as I play through the game. Same dutch angle and keeping the videos to story beats in Link's Awakening. This video is of the games introduction and I really enjoy how the pixels go crazy during high white flashes in the intro.

Hearthstone Dailies For Ghosts: Episode 3 Basic Decks, Raptor Rogue and Aggro Shaman

A few people have been asking me about starting strategies for Hearthstone. It's a tough grind when you start and I discuss what I would do if I started now and then get in playing with a basic+naxx Warlock deck. I round out the show playing a few new Aggro Shaman and Raptor Rogue decks.

Basic+Naxx Warlock Deck:

http://hearthstoneplayers.com/basic-naxxramas-warlock/

Raptor Rogue(I don't run Sylvanas or Dr. Boom as I don't have them)

http://www.hearthpwn.com/decks/376635-top-5-legend-raptor-rogue

Aggro Shaman:

http://www.icy-veins.com/hearthstone/shaman-face-aggro-loe-deck

Last year I created a post for new Hearthstone players. My only update would be to unlock Naxxramas, League of Explorers then Blackrock Mountain.

http://cheerfulghost.com/jdodson/posts/2570/tips-strategies-for-new-hearthstone-players

Nicholas_Biondi wrote on 02/03/2016 at 01:36am

good vid. As a new player, this was real helpful.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/03/2016 at 01:39am

Thanks. If you have any suggestions or maybe issues you run at with the game, let me know. I made this video based on conversations with you and a few other friends.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 02/03/2016 at 06:26pm

Very cool video. I really enjoy gameplay videos where the player explains their process, especially games that cater to deeper levels of strategy (e.g. Hearthstone). Thanks for making these!

On a selfish note, the alpha turned out really well on the banner image, which I'm also thankful for :D.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/03/2016 at 10:42pm

The alpha did turn out well, I like how the Ghosts are surrounding me

Nicholas_Biondi wrote on 02/05/2016 at 04:58am

ghosties be spoopin

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Stardew Valley Is Finally Shipping February 26th And It Looks Fantastic

"You’ve inherited your grandfather’s old farm plot in Stardew Valley. Armed with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, you set out to begin your new life. Can you learn to live off the land and turn these overgrown fields into a thriving home? It won’t be easy. Ever since Joja Corporation came to town, the old ways of life have all but disappeared. The community center, once the town’s most vibrant hub of activity, now lies in shambles. But the valley seems full of opportunity. With a little dedication, you might just be the one to restore Stardew Valley to greatness!"

Looks like much more is coming to Stardew Valley that I originally anticipated and I am excited to give it a go. I like how the game is built on a RPG narrative with a relatively open world and direction. The dungeoning elements look light but fun as well as the rest of the game.

Stardew Valley will come to PC on February 26th, will you be picking it up at launch?

Cheerful Ghost Turns 4!

Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday SPRIIIIIIGGGHTTT Happy Birthday to you!

Today Cheerful Ghost turns 4! 4 is one of those years where it feels like something substantial but it's not quite 5 years but we didn't just start yesterday either. As Cheerful Ghost hovers onward in 2016 I've really been enjoying this time in gaming and how we've all been talking about it together. PC gaming is incredible right now as we have an embarrassment of riches in Indie and Triple A games. Mobile has never been stronger with a wealth of great smartphone titles as well as 2D/3DS games and the Vita is there to give people some mobile Playstation enjoyment. Consoles look better than ever at solid 1080p and the wealth of downloadable titles and pricing is even starting to match what we've all been enjoying in the PC space for years. I think moving forward one of the hardest parts of gamer life won't be going from one amazing game to the next but will be which amazing game to choose over another. Game sales seem solid but I also wonder when a Netflix style streaming or monthly subscription option will give us thousands of games to play all at once? That said, with all the games I have right now, would it matter? Who could play that much content?

All that said, these 4 years of talking with you all on Cheerful Ghost have been some of the best spent time and I want to thank everyone for coming back and taking part in the discussion. This site only exists because you come here and take part in it and I want to thank for coming.

Also a big thank you to Scrypt for making the Cheerful Ghost birthday art above. You can find more of his work on his shiny new website http://johningalls.tumblr.com

Travis Admin wrote on 01/29/2016 at 03:16am

How are we 4?

Seriously, it seems like it could have been less than a year ago. Great times. I'm glad you sent me a message on Facebook saying, basically "Hey, I made this site for video games and I think you might like it." Actually, I don't have my old Facebook history, I clear it every now and then, but if you do I'd love to see the conversation.

That's a good thing to kick off the conversation on this post: in as much detail as you can remember, how did you find the site?

scrypt Supporter wrote on 01/29/2016 at 03:47am

At the time (I can't remember the date, but it must have been in early 2013, though it seems it should be earlier...), I was searching the web for sites that allowed you to catalog your game library, but also had a community. I stumbled on this budding site called Cheerful Ghost (I'm pretty sure it was through a Google search), and loved how clean and simple it was. Cool people that loved games, and a cool place to talk about that shared interest. I jumped in headlong, maybe even a little too headstrong, but you guys accepted me anyway, and for that I'm thankful.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 01/29/2016 at 04:27am

It was just brought to my attention that I actually found this site through Reddit. I've never been a frequent Reddit user, so I probably Google searched, landed on Reddit, then linked from there. I forget things :)

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/29/2016 at 05:14am

I'm not sure when it was exactly (although I could check my history) I found out about Cheerful Ghost because of Travis. I don't think I got very involved until that one time I was looking for recommendations of a good game to play. I posted in the Video Game Nerds group on Facebook asking for recommendations and Travis (and possibly Jon) replied with something like "...one of us" and suggested Terraria. While I didn't jump on that train immediately, I did eventually and I fell in love with it. I believe that was when I became a regular here. I've been enjoying being part of a great community of gamers. I enjoy writing and gaming, so this site is just really right for me.

So, Happy Birthday Cheerful Ghost!!!! I also want to take a moment to thank you guys (again) for this awesome community. I've visited other gaming communities and I've seen just how different Cheerful Ghost is. This is quite frequently a very positive gaming community. People here don't spew a lot of negativity, hate, and other drama that you see elsewhere. And, even though the occasional typo occurs, people here obviously know how to spell and have a good grasp on the English language. So, thanks again!!!

@Scrypt, awesome job on the pic, man!!!!

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/29/2016 at 05:21am

"And, even though the occasional typo occurs, people here obviously know how to spell and have a good grasp on the English language."

Haha, yeah. We are getting better. Maybe I should say I am getting better.

Travis Admin wrote on 01/29/2016 at 08:57pm

I’d just like to share how it all started for me. I knew Jon from way back in 2004. We were both moderators on the official Ubuntu forums. We didn’t talk a TON but we knew basic things about each other, and I think we were Facebook friends at the time.

So out of the blue I get an email from Jon, with the subject line “Window Glass is an Upwardly Mobile Venture” and I can remember thinking “OK, I’m going to have to tell Jon his email account got hacked. But I read it anyway, and here’s what it said, with some things cleaned up for readability, and posted to pastebin so that this isn’t just a massive wall of text:

http://pastebin.com/SrKLJnRA

I was intrigued, but still not entirely sure of what to expect, and I responded as such: “Yeah man, sounds awesome. Let me know when it's online. I think I know what you're going for with it, but it sounds like something that will make more sense once I see it in action. I look forward to being a hipster cat.”

And that’s where it all began. When Jon launched the site, I joined up, and immediately dumped literally every single game I owned into it, on all platforms, and started chatting about games with people I’d never met. But I love this email that I sent back a week later, titled “One Week with Cheerful Ghost.” I read this now, four years later, and it still holds up:

http://pastebin.com/FjT9Zcnx

Seriously, it’s hard to believe that it’s been that long ago. I had no idea back then that I’d love this place as much as I do, but It has become an integral part of my life. Not because of the games, but because of the awesome people.

Travis Admin wrote on 01/29/2016 at 08:58pm

(and thanks, Jon, for forwarding these old emails to me)

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/29/2016 at 09:06pm

No problem Travis!

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 01/30/2016 at 04:26am

Happy Birthday!

It's fun to go back to the first posts and see how the site has grown (No titles at first, really short sentence posts, etc).

Super happy for you Jon! And for me!

hardeyez wrote on 01/31/2016 at 04:22pm

Wow, 4 years already? Congrats!

rettisawesome wrote on 02/01/2016 at 06:13pm

Good work guys!

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The Ballad Of The Wind Fish In 4K!

I play through Link's Awakening every couple years and each time I am really floored by the Ballad of the Wind Fish. This time I decided to take a 4K video of the song playing on my handheld.

Metal Jesus Interviews Complete Wii Game Collector

Retro YouTube gamer Metal Jesus interviews the retro game collector Kacy da Game Nerd. Metal Jesus focuses on Kacy's complete Wii collection and asks him a bit about his other collections(game cube, gameboy advance). Kacy has 1260 Wii games admitting that 1/3 is shovelware which an unfortunate reality of Wii games. I think the Wii is a great system and according to Kacy if you want to get Wii games now is a good time to pick them up because most are not expensive.

I still play my Wii and have a couple games I have left to get such ask Skyward Sword, Mario Galaxy 2 and Punch Out.

Watch The Steam Controller Play The Star Spangled Banner Using Vibrations

Did you know you can have your Steam controller play music using the haptic vibrations? Now you do.

Now if someone could program it to play Nirvana?

Star Wars The Force Awakens Behind The Scenes Roundup

The Force Awakens was the biggest movie launch in 2015 and as such there is going to be many behind the scenes videos about it. I've seen some really interesting stuff and wanted to share those with you. The first one shared above is a short about the Holochess easter egg in The Force Awakens. It was filmed using a very similar stop motion animation style and people connected with the original film to give the scene the authentic feel they were going for. YouTube channel Tested also did a separate video where they interviewed everyone involved with the Holochess scene and it covers much of the stuff in the official video above but is from a slightly different perspective.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sexd06I8mzg

Finally FX Guide TV did a very interesting short on the practical and CG effects in The Force Awakens. There is a metric junkload of CG shots in The Force Awakens but it is used very well alongside quite a lot of practical. It's nice to see the discussion and have them talk a bit about how complicated some of these shots were to get.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G42oiW2EosU

jdodson1

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