JamesG
09-11-2009, 12:44 AM
Nirvana Guys: Lock Up Kurt Cobain!
by Natalie Finn
Guitar Hero is awesome, as you all know, especially when you can get avatar Kurt Cobain to writhe to the beat of "You Give Love a Bad Name."
Or not.
Former Nirvana mates Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic are "dismayed and very disappointed" that there is a way to unlock the Cobain character so that it can be used to perform other bands' tunes in Guitar Hero 5.
Playing guitar right-handed, no less!
"The name and likeness of Kurt Cobain are the sole property of his estate— we have no control whatsoever in that area," the guys said in a joint statement Thursday.
"While we were aware of Kurt's image being used with two Nirvana songs, we didn't know players have the ability to unlock the character. This feature allows the character to be used with any kind of song the player wants. We urge Activision to do the right thing in 're-locking' Kurt's character so that this won't continue in the future.
"It's hard to watch an image of Kurt pantomiming other artists' music alongside cartoon characters," Grohl and Novoselic continued. "Kurt Cobain wrote songs that hold a lot of meaning to people all over the world. We feel he deserves better."
Better than Bush? Megadeath? Public Enemy?!
Well, yes. Guitar Hero 5 already features "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Lithium," the first time those songs have appeared in the hit videogame franchise.
But Activision says that the keeper of the keys to Cobain's image, Courtney Love, OK'd the transaction, which allows users to let the character play/sing/rap on any of the game's 85 songs.
"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 said in a statement.
But they should know that legalities don't mean a thing in Courtneyland.
"FOR THE RECORD I DID NOT APPROVE KURTS AVATAR FOR GUYITARHERO5. i think Kurt would despise this game alone let alone this avatar," she scream-tweeted earlier today.
"For the record this Guitar Hero s--t is breach of contract on a Bullys part and there will be a proper addressing of this and retraction," read one of Love's zillion ensuing Twitter posts. "WE are going to sue the s--t out of ACtivision we being the Trust the Estate the LLC the various LLCs Cobain Enterprises."
She went on to explain herself, of course.
"YOU for dismissing me as a LOON, go f---ing play guitar hero commit necrophilai KNOW you are raping me and my family mother in law child," Love wrote.
Sounds like we've got the first trial of the century on our hands.
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b143604_nirvana_guys_lock_up_kurt_cobain.html?utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=imdb_topstories
by Natalie Finn
Guitar Hero is awesome, as you all know, especially when you can get avatar Kurt Cobain to writhe to the beat of "You Give Love a Bad Name."
Or not.
Former Nirvana mates Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic are "dismayed and very disappointed" that there is a way to unlock the Cobain character so that it can be used to perform other bands' tunes in Guitar Hero 5.
Playing guitar right-handed, no less!
"The name and likeness of Kurt Cobain are the sole property of his estate— we have no control whatsoever in that area," the guys said in a joint statement Thursday.
"While we were aware of Kurt's image being used with two Nirvana songs, we didn't know players have the ability to unlock the character. This feature allows the character to be used with any kind of song the player wants. We urge Activision to do the right thing in 're-locking' Kurt's character so that this won't continue in the future.
"It's hard to watch an image of Kurt pantomiming other artists' music alongside cartoon characters," Grohl and Novoselic continued. "Kurt Cobain wrote songs that hold a lot of meaning to people all over the world. We feel he deserves better."
Better than Bush? Megadeath? Public Enemy?!
Well, yes. Guitar Hero 5 already features "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Lithium," the first time those songs have appeared in the hit videogame franchise.
But Activision says that the keeper of the keys to Cobain's image, Courtney Love, OK'd the transaction, which allows users to let the character play/sing/rap on any of the game's 85 songs.
"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 said in a statement.
But they should know that legalities don't mean a thing in Courtneyland.
"FOR THE RECORD I DID NOT APPROVE KURTS AVATAR FOR GUYITARHERO5. i think Kurt would despise this game alone let alone this avatar," she scream-tweeted earlier today.
"For the record this Guitar Hero s--t is breach of contract on a Bullys part and there will be a proper addressing of this and retraction," read one of Love's zillion ensuing Twitter posts. "WE are going to sue the s--t out of ACtivision we being the Trust the Estate the LLC the various LLCs Cobain Enterprises."
She went on to explain herself, of course.
"YOU for dismissing me as a LOON, go f---ing play guitar hero commit necrophilai KNOW you are raping me and my family mother in law child," Love wrote.
Sounds like we've got the first trial of the century on our hands.
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b143604_nirvana_guys_lock_up_kurt_cobain.html?utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=imdb_topstories