Activision responds to Love's legal threats

PALGN News | Also, other Nirvana members aren't happy about Cobain's appearance in Guitar Hero 5 either.

After Courtney Love's Twitter outburst against Activision over her late husband's appearance in Guitar Hero 5, the publisher has stated that it obtained legal permission from all the right people - including Love herself.

"Guitar Hero secured the necessary licensing rights from the Cobain estate in a written agreement signed by Courtney Love to use Kurt Cobain's likeness as a fully playable character in Guitar Hero 5," Activision told gaming blog Kotaku.

Also upset over the Nirvana frontman's appearance are the remaning members of Nirvana, bassist Krist Novoselic and drummer Dave Grohl - but they have zero legal recourse against it.

"We want people to know that we are dismayed and very disappointed in the way a facsimile of Kurt is used in the Guitar Hero game," said a statement from the pair. "The name and likeness of Kurt Cobain are the sole property of his estate - we have no control whatsoever in that area."

Apparently, they knew that Cobain would be appearing in Guitar Hero 5, but are most upset over the fact his avatar can be unlocked and used to play any song in the game.

"It's hard to watch an image of Kurt pantomiming other artists' music alongside cartoon characters," the statement continues. "Kurt Cobain wrote songs that hold a lot of meaning to people all over the world. We feel he deserves better."

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20 Comments

rankodour

2 years ago

I think they're being too precious about this. They should've just not allowed Nirvana songs to appear at all if they wanted to preserve any reverence to Kurt Cobain.

JP2daMC

2 years ago

I don't agree. It's one thing to let a song and Kurt's image go for Nirvana songs, and another entirely for him to be covering other people's lame songs.

Infested Jibbs

2 years ago

I think an artists music and an artists persona are two entirely different things.If activision had an ounce of class about them they could have included the songs, and use the accompanying music video for the visuals.Kurt ok'd the music, he ok'd the music videos, so it would be a-ok.

I mean sure, it hardly compares to the current 'awesomeness' that is having a digital kurt rock on to songs that aren't his with red bull cans and kfc buckets in the foreground, but it would come close.

DancesInUnderwear

2 years ago

Jimi Hendrix can only sing Jimi Hendrix songs in World Tour. Metallica only sing Metallica songs in GH: Metallica.

Someone must have agreed to allow Kurt Cobain to sing non-Nrirvana songs. Blame them.

(as a side note, I never thought I'd be able to use the word 'Metallica' three times in one sentence. Yet another boyhood dream realised)

Fly

2 years ago

I was expecting a reply written in crayon with several "

" littered through out so that Love could actually respond properly, respond by giggling incoherently before licking it fervently to get any chemicals off the page and into her blood! Tap the crayon into her veins!

GoldenEyeRa

2 years ago

YES! IT. BEGINS.

He need to cut the ego.

2 years ago

What probably happened was Activision offered Love x amount, which she accepted, then realised the profitability of GH and now she's pissed and wants more.

Nic_231

2 years ago

Perhaps she should have read the contract more closely before signing away the rights to Kurt's image...
In fact, perhaps if she really wanted to respect her late husband she should have refused outright rather than whoring his memory out for cash to something he would have, by all acounts, despised.

renegadesx

2 years ago

Haven't had much (i.e. zero) respect for Courtney Love over the years but I am definitely on the side that Activision is not. Its an incredibly tacky, total b**** move by Activision and I for one plan to boycott the game.

I agree, with other sentiments that she didn't know what she was signing away. Way to go Courtney, you yet again make a music legend's legacy your own personal prostitute!

Sin Ogaris

2 years ago

So.. Activision aren't allowed to have dead muso's in their game?

Why is no one kicking up a stink about Johnny Cash then? Seriously, it's a ******* video game, Cobain is dead, and has been for several years, people need to harden the **** up and get the Hell over it.

Sinthesys

2 years ago

Probably because the shrine of commercialism that is Guitar Hero is pretty much the opposite of everything Kurt stood for when he was alive...

darklord

2 years ago

Sin Ogaris wrote

It's not just a video game. It's something Cobain was heavily against, he'd never want to be put in something like this but then to have his character sing and dance all these other songs is an insult to him and his fans.

I'm not a big fan of his but if I was heavily against something and then someone started using my imagine in it, I'd be furious.

It's like if The Beatles: Rockband 2 had them singing Avril Lavigne songs or something. It's a dick move by Activision.

Sin Ogaris

2 years ago

Why would this game be any different to the rest though? It's been like that for as long as they've had playable characters. Can't really get stroppy over it now. Besides, we've known about Cobain being in the game for AGES, yet only now people are complaining (after Love had her whinge fest), is this a case of "monkey see, monkey do"?

darklord

2 years ago

No, look at how the Beatles was handled. Every single little bit of detail had to be perfect, how to the animations, faces, WIND, everything.

In this it's like "Yeah whatever, Cobain doing flava flav and going "YEEEEEAH BOOOOY!"? Sure do it".

How many other playable characters had that? None that I can think of.

Sinthesys

2 years ago

Sin Ogaris wrote

People still had the same opinions, its just this thread really triggered the outpouring of them. I don't think anyone has changed their thoughts on the matter because of Courtney Love, its just the issue was raised and people are giving their long-standing opinions on it.

If someone had made a thread before this one about it, people probably would have said similar things.

hommus

2 years ago

Pretty sure he SOLD his music so he is as much a supporter of commercialisation as anyone, he just sells the image that its all about the music and the message and some idiots believe that.

Can't believe people actually give a ****.

Sin Ogaris

2 years ago

The thing is Activision have Kurt Cobain playing HIS songs, he is a guest vocalist on Smells Like Teen Spirit and that other live one, the only reason he would play anyone elses tracks is if the player chooses for that to happen.

I fail to see how Activision are MAKING everyone play "Flava Flav" with Cobain. How are they doing this exactly? It's the exact same system as the other games, the guest performers come out for their songs and that's it. If you buy the characters YOU can then choose to play whatever song you want with them.

Oh and considering the fact that all the newer GH games (after World Tour I believe) are motion captured (i.e. the avatars are actually playing the tracks, hitting the right frets, etc) I fail to see how they lack in "detail". Beatles Rock Band probably does the same thing, haven't played it though.

G3ck0

2 years ago

I'm pretty sure even RB1 they play the right frets, hit the right drums etc. But they still give you the option to use him in any song. They could have just made a guest appearance in the songs he actually sings and nothing else.

Sin Ogaris

2 years ago

It's an option though... they're not forcing you to do anything, it's not like you have to play other tracks with Cobain in order to finish the game so the ONLY people who can sully his elitist image is the punters playing.

And you're right about the fret thing, every games pretty much done that right, it looks like it's all the motions that have been worked on (which is plain to see when you compare the movements of the band in say WT or RB compared to Greatest Hits which I actually enjoy watching them perform in as it doesn't look rigid or unnatural at all.

Dovey

2 years ago

Maybe this is reason why video games are still struggling to be recognised as art by the masses... Cause if publishes and developers don't want to respect other people and their artistic views in their respective artistic form (and Cobain had many)... all for the sake of some cheap publicity (like this) and the extra dollar's, then how are they (other artist) mean't to respects video games as an artistic expression or experience.

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Guitar Hero 5

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Australian Release Date:
  16/09/2009 (Confirmed)
Publisher:
  Activision
Genre:
  Music
Year Made:
  2009
Players:
  4

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