Kirk Hamilton

Coulton Says Fox Won’t Apologize For Ripping Him Off On Glee

Songwriter Jonathan Coulton has posted an update on his personal blog in which he says Fox is unrepentant after blatantly stealing his arrangement of “Baby Got Back” for last night’s “Sadie Hawkins” episode of Glee The full update from Coulton’s website: Well, they aired it, seemingly unchanged. And it’s now for sale in the US…

My Day With The New SimCity

Last week, I headed over to Maxis headquarters in Emeryville to spend a big chunk of time playing SimCity. I decided that rather than attempt to list all of the features of a game this dense, I’d just keep a journal of my day. So that’s what I did. Who’s ready for some hot city-planning…

Watch The Glee Cast Perform The Arrangement They Ripped Off From Jonathan Coulton

Last week, a recording surfaced of the cast of Glee performing a slowed-down arrangement of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s 90s classic “Baby Got Back.” As it turned out, their arrangement of the tune had more than a liiiittle bit in common with an earlier arrangement by well-known geeky songwriter Jonathan Coulton. In fact, the Glee arrangement was…

The Mars Volta Breaks Up, Never To De-Louse In Another Comatorium

Well, this is a shame. The Mars Volta, a band I have always had a great deal of respect for, is officially no more. Via the A.V. Club, lead singer/freak of nature Cedric Bixler Zavala announced his departure, and the band’s breakup, in a series of tweets last night: I have to say, the only…

This Is What Romance Looks Like In Fire Emblem: Awakening

Sure, the Fire Emblem series is known for its well-designed tactical challenges. The newest game in the series, Fire Emblem: Awakening, is no different. But a lesser-known aspect of Awakening is just how romantic it can be. See, when your soldiers (of which you’ll amass dozens) fight alongside one another, they get closer and eventually…

Sony has joined the modern age: Everyone can (finally) access the PlayStation store right from their browsers.

Watch This Guy Laugh In The Face Of DmC‘s Highest Difficulty

Insert obligatory opening sentence about how some people are upset about how DmC is easier than its predecessors. And, sure, that may well be the case—I’m no Devil May Cry expert, and I also haven’t tried DmC on anything beyond its third-hardest “Nephilim” setting. That means I haven’t tried the by-all-accounts very tough “Son of…

Don’t Like How Your Game Looks In The Upcoming SimCity? Give It The Instagram Treatment.

One cool feature in Maxis’ upcoming SimCity is the “filter” setting, which lets you view your city through all manner of lens. You can choose any of over a dozen filters, from soft-focus “warm” to a Sin City-like black and red, to “vintage,” which will look familiar to most anyone who has endured used social…

The Music In Fire Emblem: Awakening Is So. Hot.

I’ve been playing the upcoming 3DS game Fire Emblem: Awakening for the last week, and wanted to share some of the game’s music. We won’t be posting a full review for a little while still, but I can already say that the soundtrack, most of which you can already listen to on YouTube, is something…

Hey, want to hear me (Kirk) say a thing about the Dreamcast on today’s NPR Morning Edition? You are in luck!

Glee Egregiously Rips Off Jonathan Coulton

Glee made its name on enthusiastic unoriginality. The hit TV show, in which high school teens sing syrupy-sweet covers of famous pop tunes, has never really relied on new musical material. But the cover arrangements on the show are often very original—smart, interesting reharmonizations and mash-ups that often make even the tiredest pop tunes sound…

This Really Is How The Hobbit Should’ve Ended

I’m so happy to learn, watching this funny video from How It Should Have Ended, that I’m not the only one who wonders: “Why doesn’t Gandalf get everywhere flying on an eagle?” And then to ask, “Why didn’t they just fly into Mordor straight-off, on eagles?” How’s everyone’s week wrapping up? Good? Cool. Talk about…

DmC‘s Killer PC Version Will Be Worth The Wait

If you’re a console-owning hack ‘n slash ‘n juggle fan, you’ve probably already got Ninja Theory’s DmC on Xbox 360 or PS3. (And good for you: It’s a fun game.) But if you’re holding off and can wait another week, you should strongly consider waiting for the PC version, which comes out on January 25,…

Yeaaaaahhh! Final Fantasy‘s Lightning Has A CSI Moment

Every time someone puts on sunglasses and utters a pithy remark, a “Won’t Get Fooled Again” scream gets its wings. This video Chris made may have required reverse-engineering a clip from the latest trailer for Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, but hey, the clip was kind of begging for it. For full effect, picture David…

Tell Us Your Favorite Final Fantasy Music

Last week, we asked you all to tell us your favorite Zelda music. The ensuing playlist was outstanding. This week, I thought I’d keep the idea going with another storied video game series: Final Fantasy. Between the lackluster preview event for Lightning Returns and the bizarre new Final Fantasy mobile game, it’s easy to forget…

You Get To Ask The People Making Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Two Questions, They Said. Good Luck.

Yesterday, I attended a press junket for Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, the latest in the megaseries and our first chance to see the game in action. The game, from what little we saw, could be cool. The press junket, on the other hand, wasn’t great. We got very little new info that isn’t already…

Far Cry 3‘s latest DLC has four huntable animals: Mountain lion, thylacine, white tiger and red vulture. No Dinosaurs.

Looking to brush up on Ratchet & Clank‘s backstory? Check out the latest “Lore in a Minute.”

Oh God, It’s A Bad Lip-Reading Of The Entire NFL

At this point, I feel like I don’t have to introduce “Bad Lip-Reading,” the mega genius works of music and misinterpretation whose ranks include Twilight ‘s gummi bear and Michael Bublé’s “Russian Unicorn,” that second one better known as my Actual Favorite Thing On The Entire Internet. Now, he’s turned his attention on the National…

How To Bake Myst‘s Delicious Mushroom Bread

It’s hard work, solving puzzles. Sometimes, a gal or guy might get hungry. Good thing there’s Daniella Zelli’s Gourmet Gaming, there to tell us how to make all of our favorite video game dishes, from Konami Wall-Turkey to the Grand Theft Auto burger to Dishonored‘s apricot tartlet. And now, she’s tackled the venerable puzzle/exploration series…