Cobain Chaos: Why Harmonix Wins & Activision Gets Sued

OXCGN:

"Why Activision "Knows Not What It Means".

There is a big hub bub on the net right now over the use of Kurt Cobain's likeness as an unlockable character in Guitar Hero 5. This means Cobain can be the front man of your band while you perform the hits of Flava Flav and Bon Jovi...

Activision could have easily avoided this mini controversy if it took a little bit of time and evaluated how it utilizes the likenesses of rock icons in Guitar Hero...

The most interesting part of the whole situation is the timing. This comes out at the same time when Guitar Hero's rival, Rock Band, released an entire rhythm game based on The Beatles to critical acclaim.

Harmonix understood that they would be taking liberties with one of the world's most cherished bands and went to deep lengths to make sure they paid sufficient reverence to the band. They ensured that the game was more than a quick money grabber by focusing on the Beatles, their music and their message."

[gaminoz]

That was a good way to show why the Cobain/ Neversoft thing went wrong- comparing it to how the Rock Band Beatles game did it!

Awesome article.

[RememberThe357]

They have been acting as though they can do whatever they want. Now they have shamed an idol. To be honest even growing up in Seattle I never got too into Nirvana(I'm more of an Alice in Chains and Perl Jam kind of guy), but their MTV Unplugged album is a classic.

Those videos of Kurt in Guitar Hero where really bad, and I'm glad someone is at least trying to stop it.

And I also agree, great article.

[XboxOZ360]

Half the time the avatar's and Kurt are performing without an instruments whatsoever. Now that is sloppy design work at its worst.

Activision should be ashamed to put the game out with such flaws in it, let alone the huge gaff they have done with Kurt Cobain.

Seeing a skeleton playing 'air drums, and Cobain using an invisble mic, while others use invisible guitars is one thing, but if you notice at the end, there's multiple Cobains, that would never be tolerated by any living artist . . .

I hope Love does take them to the cleaners, they deserve it in that regard.

[creatchee]

I don't like the fact that this article gives Harmonix a free pass (in fact, it's almost revering them) for doing the same thing that it belittles Activision/Neversoft for.

I guarantee you that Kurt Cobain was a million times more protective of his music than his image. The last thing that somebody as anti-corporate and -establishment as Cobain would have wanted was a bunch of (mostly) kids playing his songs with plastic instruments and singing his lyrics without even having the slightest grasp on what they mean. Harmonix and Activision/Neversoft are equally as guilty here, as they've had Nirvana in large quantities both on-disc and as DLC for both franchises. Add that to the goofy characters in both games, and my point is made for me. Anybody who thinks that Kurt would have stood for that is delusional.

So, bottom line, yeah the Kurt Cobain character should have been locked to Nirvana songs, but don't give Harmonix a pass just because "they care about the music" when they've done things in their own right to undermine Kurt's legacy (as he would have had it be)...

[NecrumSlavery]

they didn't mention how yoko is a money hogging douche and courtney love is a psychotic nutcase.

rock band games are a joke. they are too easy, and don't have the technical skill difficulty you get in GH. Guitar hero will always be a better series because RB is a childs game and GH is instrument simulation.

[cornfedgamer]

@ NecrumSlavery

Fair enough. But they are both games, not simulations. Except for maybe the drums, those are pretty close.

[LiL T]

True but playing a real instrument trumps both games for skill required and yes I do play a real instrument (not a skin flute haha).

[Redempteur]

GH more technical ?

I can't help but laugh ... Are we talking about the same GH games that add notes that don't exist in the songs ???

Yeah yeah more technical ...

Also rock band came first ..so please they're hardly a joke .. GH4 copied the concept !

[DRUDOG]

Couldn't care less either way, but it seems as though the consumer has spoken:

http://www.chart-track.co.u...

[FreeMonk]

Out of all of this, Courtney Love is the main person to blame. She signed over his likeness to Activision and Neversoft, and left them to it. Obviously she never checked the game out before it shipped, or asked the right questions. A simple question of 'Will Kurt be singing just his own songs or others artists as well', will of sorted this problem out before it even started. She said she loves him still, yet didn't go out of her way to protect his image?

Just look at Yoko Ono. Harmonix went on record saying that Yoko Ono 'Gave them hell' whilst making Rock Bank: The Beatles, asking them to change the design of the game when she got concerned it didn't look right, and look what was released....a superb, mesmorising journey into the Beatles catalogue. It excelled in showing what The Beatles phenominon was all about, and that's partly down to Yoko Ono helping the developer whilst looking after the image of her late Husbands and his friends.

Activision and Neversoft on the other hand just raped not only Kurt Cobain, but also Johnny Cash.

I myself prefer to play Guitar Hero against Rock Band, just because Guitar Hero offers a little bit more of a challenge when playing the tracks, but seeing Kurt jumping around on stage, sing Bon Jovi tracks is wrong, and takes the enjoyment out of it all.

Here's hoping that Neversoft and Activision learn from there mistakes, and do what Harmonix did....respect the artists they are portraing, alive or dead.

[Afreelunch]

Did somebody just say that Guitar Hero was an "Instrument Simulation?"
HA!
HAHAHAHA! AAAAHHHHHAHAHAHAHA!

Get real man!

Rock band and guitar hero can both eat a d*ck. Courtney love is the reason the music and likeness are available to them, so she is very much to blame. If you give a kid some candy, he's gonna take it. That doesn't mean it's right, it just means that activision and harmonix got their candy. According to Cobain's philosophy at the time of his death, he wouldn't want to be featured in either product, but that obviously doesn't matter to the developers OR the consumers, or we would be seeing some real action instead of just tons of complaining.

[Mantiz]

@ creatchee
If you think that someone as intelligent as Kurt wouldn't be able to comprehend that RB is a new way to interact with music and that getting you message out is more important than how you do it, why was Nirvana on MT FCKING V!!!? or the radio ? damn didn't really think that one out did you.

@Necrumslavery

First of all guitar hero Looks like absolute horrid shiite, the note charts are trash aesthetically and even worse @ recreating the fingering necessary to play a given part on guitar ( I play guitar IRL ), not to mention that none of that matters cause all that really matters in a rhythm game is song selection, and Rock Band blows guitar hero away so utterly it's sad really. when you have a choice between some of the best classic & Southern rock, metal, punk etc... or you have the Pop and new metal/ Nickalbackish SHIITE that guitar hero puts out outside of the occasional Hendrix or something which again is charted Fuuckterrible so who cares.

[creatchee]

Apparently I thought out my comment way more than you thought out yours.

You do realize that artists have virtually no control on whether or not they are played on the radio, right? And as to them playing on MTV unplugged? Are your really calling into question one of the greatest acoustic performances of our generation (if not of others) by saying Kurt wouldn't do it because it was MTV? You're forgetting that back then, MTV played music videos 1000 times more than they did today and was still a viable medium of artists getting alternative genres of music out - not the reality-fest that it has become. And I seriously hope that you can draw a distinction between playing a concert on MTV and having Judy Nails or Moosejaw Boudreaux singing your songs and playing your instruments on-screen while a bunch of people played in plastic bands on their couches.

Kurt was intelligent as you said, but if you knew anything about him, you'd know that he didn't really care about who heard his music - just that it was there to be heard. And again, there's no way in hell he'd want it in either Guitar Hero or Rock Band.

[Mantiz]

Clearly you didn't "think" @ all. "Kurt didn't care who listened to his music" wow obviously you know nothing about the man as his suicide notes show that your statement is blatantly false. " No artist has control over if they get played on the radio" you are sadly mistaken sir, listen if you never give your label rights to play you on the radio or you make your own label and release indy like mc chris & you don't have to get played on the radio and You could sue them if they did because they are making advertising $$ off you,if you sign those rights over to your label you know full well what your doing as Nirvana clearly did, so obviously your argument their is false as well, as for MTV im not talking about unplugged OBVIOUSLY IM TALKING ABOUT ALL THE VIDEOS THEY SHOT!!!! Commercial videos, TO SELL RECORDS AND MAKE $$$ I might ad so much for your argument

/0wn3d

[jack_burt0n]

Its bobby kuntek at it again.

[stevenhiggster]

I don't even care about either of these games at all, but I'm so happy to know that Bobby K might well be getting shafted.

What goes around comes around Bobby boy.

[Gabe EatsWell]

Gabe EatsWell > Bobby Kotick

Press Agree.

[Bobby Kotex]

I beg to differ.

[darkmurder]

Poor old Kurt, never getting any peace.

[Kurt Russell]

He's dead - I am sure he couldn't give a toss about anything, as he is nothing more than a bunch of rotting matter in a hole somewhere.

[LeonSKennedy4Life]

To be fair...

...his body is pretty much decayed at this point.

His soul is really the debate here. : )

If Heaven and Hell are any indication...Kurt's not doing too well right now.

Whether he's depicted properly in a video game is the LEAST of his worries right now.

[cornfedgamer]

Actually, he was cremated and scattered in the Wishkah River.

And when you're gone all that you leave in this world are things you have created and people you have touched. So his image is paramount and protecting it is the last gift his survivors can give him.

[NaiNaiNai]

RB > GH.

always and forever.

[Godem]

naw GH > RB at least it seems to be in Australia..

[CernaML]

For once I can finally agree with you! See... there has to be at least a little common sense in everybody.

[Godem]

not really related, but I once knew this guy who carried a piece of paper which he claimed was a copy of Cobain's suicide notes/letter.. he never let anyone see it. But everyday he would pull it out of his pocket in a dark corner of a room and look at it, when no one was near.... Kind of odd eh?

Or maybe it was just a picture of a boob or something. lol.

[LeonSKennedy4Life]

Bubbles, mate.

[Nihilism]

I think it's wrong what activision has done, but courtney the greedy b!tch signed it, i'm sure she knew what she was doing at the time, it's just the meth afterward that made her forget

[iceman06]

Courtney Love had, has, and will CONTINUE to profit from Nirvana and Cobain for as long as she can. She has sued numerous times in the name of "protecting" Curt's image, but funny because each time this image came with HUGE dollar signs. I wouldn't doubt if she let this happen on purpose just to further fund her meth habit!!! As for Activision...what do you expect from a product of capitalism? They exist solely to make money. They knew that GH5 would sell. Did they think it would just BECAUSE of Cobain? Who knows...but it couldn't hurt to add him. I am not as shocked and outraged as everyone else because it is what I EXPECT of big business. As for Cobain...I hope that he found the peace that he claimed he couldn't find in life.

[Knightofelemia]

Courtney Love killed him when will she admit it.

[Pixel_Addict]

These days nothing is sacred, everyone is for sale dead or alive. Welcome to America. By the way, didn't Kurt Cobain kill himself over people using him? Tasteless.

[LeonSKennedy4Life]

...Dead or Alive?

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[cornfedgamer]

@ Pixel Addict

There's an excerpt of his suicide note if you follow the link to the story. But yeah, his note suggests he felt guilty because he felt like he was punching a clock everytime he went out on stage.

[LiL T]

Whats with the Miidget in the game.

[KaL_D]

@ Necrumslavery

"rock band games are a joke. they are too easy, and don't have the technical skill difficulty you get in GH. Guitar hero will always be a better series because RB is a childs game and GH is instrument simulation"

GH is instrument simulation...really? I take it single-string, 5 fret guitars are all the rage these days.

[Captain Tuttle]

Sure he had presence and charisma but Dave Grohl was the genius behind that band imo.

[moe84]

Agreed, but on topic...

This whole situation is stupid. Period. It's a damn video game that has no relevance to real life at all. As said before, the game(s) are meant to be humorous. Especially with cartoon like graphics. Hell, people should be welcoming the fact they can play as one of their musical heroes and still play other songs they've come to love. I would love to pick up a game and see the real David Allen Coe, singing any song by a black artist/band. No disrespect intended, but just the humor side of it alone would be enough to keep people attached. Seeing one of the biggest country/rock rebels off all time singing a T.I song, or a Hooty song.. classic

Back off topic.. Yea, probably a good 50 artists that could have done what Kurt did better. Even the od part. David was the real talent. Kurt was/is way overrated.

[cornfedgamer]

Disagree. Video games are art and part of our culture and as such have impact on real life. Not everyone will have the same reaction to art, but that's the point.

We're having this discussion, aren't we? About how real people should be portrayed in video games. You say they should be humorous like cartoons, which is fine and great for satire. I say that sometimes a game can have more impact for being serious and portraying living people accurately and with context. The Beatles: Rock Band succeeded in my eyes.

I, for one, would like to see video games elevated above stereotypes that they are just for fun and kids. Video games can be as important culturally as film and radio. This young medium is just experimenting to see what works.

Also, David Grohl rocks, but Cobain was the artistic force in Nirvana.

[moe84]

So you're saying that the experience you have in Guitar Hero will have an effect on your life? Play as Kurt for 1 hour, and your whole day is changed? When playing racing games(if you do), does the experience you have while playing have an effect on how you drive in real life? Being able to differentiate between fact and fiction is a necessity in life.

I'm not saying the avatars available to you should be cartoon like. I'm saying in the games Guitar Hero and Rock Band, your avatars are cartoon like. More so in Guitar Hero than Rock Band. If either of the developers could make a more realistic game on the same premise, it would be awesome. But then, you have even more people crying about how you toasted their idol's image. But neither are showing any attempt(yet) to create their game on a more realistic playing field. So for now, all we have is a cartoon environment.

"It’s hard to watch an image of Kurt pantomiming other artists’ music alongside cartoon characters.".. This statement alone is enough for me to be against the Grohl/Love qq fest.
So, Kurt is too good to play the music of other artists? He's too good for cartoons? So, if the cartoon band part of a video game is what's getting people.. would the reaction be any different if Kurt was on stage with Kiss? Slipknot? ICP? Or any band that wears makeup or masks.. Holding someone up on a pedestal is fine. But it's been more than ten years. It's time to move the on, and let his image and persona be shared with the world.

I didn't see Slash up in uproar because his Avatar was playing Pat Benatar and Heart songs. People will probably say it's a different situation, it's not. A musician made a legit career, one with out clowns and cartoons. And their avatar is along side both.

What this really comes down too, is Love shouldn't have signed the paper.

[Pixel_Addict]

Kurt Cobains lyrics and his melancholy voice is what Nirvana was known for. Nirvana wouldn't be the same having any other tone or atmosphere. The sense of irony about many of his songs gave it a very unique insight in a very pop culture. I am not big fan of the actual music writing, but I can see something great in what he had added to the band.. it speaks to people at their very bottom, when most people rather ignore you and pretend their miserable lives are any better.

[cornfedgamer]

Playing a good game of Rock Band/Guitar Hero does have an effect on life. It helps you discover new music and experience music with friends. It fulfills the fantasy of being a rock star. If playing games has no effect on your life at all, then I ask why do you play?

Games impact life more like watching a movie, looking at a piece of art or playing a board game. Do any of those impact one's ability to differentiate from fact & fiction? Not at all. That's not what we are talking about.

But let's say Master Chief was being portrayed in a Halo Movie and was saying things like "Gawsh, I hope those zombies don't hurt me, derrr." Fans of Halo would be upset that we was inaccurately portrayed in a different medium. That the movie producers don't give a hoot about what the characters original fans think, or think he deserves enough respect to be portrayed accurately. They just want to use his character to squeeze a couple extra bucks out of their movie. This works both ways w/ Cobain & Guitar Hero 5.

Art does not exist within itself only. It injects itself into our lives in unquantifiable ways. From what we take from it to the discussions it sparks and the ways it changes the way we think or see the world. Video games are becoming a larger cultural phenomenon and as such are being held to higher standards. This is good because it will result in better and more thought-provoking games alongside the brain-jelly we've grown to know and love.

I'm also not saying GH or RB is necessarily better, just pointing out the difference in how they approach this aspect of their games. I happen to favor one over the other for having more artistry and tact, but that's not saying the other isn't valid or fun as well.

On the topic of cartoons, earlier I said "humorous LIKE cartoons." Not anything literal about cartoons.

Slash is also alive and well and signed off on the project when he appeared in GH. And as much as he rocks I would argue that Cobain had the larger cultural impact in that his music started a new genre of Rock. But that's beside the point.

But where we can both agree is that a large part of the blame is on Courtney Love's shoulders. If she would have been involved in the creative process like Paul, Ringo, Yoko and Olivia Harrison were in the Beatles game, Cobain's appearance in GH5 could have been tactful and with purpose. She wasn't operating with Kurt's best interests in mind and that is the saddest part.

[moe84]

This reminds me of the Charlie Daniels vs Guitar Hero using The Devil Went Down to Georgia in the manner they did.

It'll blow over, and nothing will be done.

[NMC2007]

So let me get this straight, Neversoft gives you a choice to use Kurt, IF YOU WANT TO DO SO! and it's bad? So giving people options is bad? You don't have to use Kurt at all and yet this debate still exists?
Jesus Christ people are stupid, F***!
*walks away with mind blown*

[Mantiz]

To be fair their is no Heaven and hell was created by the catholic church so maybe you need a history lesson ehh

[FragMnTagM]

He'll give you a sermon.

Let him live in his little imaginary world where the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and all his little imaginary friends are real.

[ionace]

Good article, even though it's half Courtney Love's fault since she was probably plastered when she signed off on it, Activision should still not have let Kurt be used the way he is.

[Killjoy3000]

These people just tarnished the image of a legend. I wish I can have a word with Neversoft.

[Death2494]

The guy who wrote this article is obviously biased towards Harmonix. The fact that Guitar Hero 5 outsold Rock Band: Beatles means nothing. But i don't feel that he should've been used to counter the Beatles. I hope a relative has been fairly compensated.

[Taco_Waffle]

Instrument simulation? BWA HA HA HA!!!!

[Dellis]

Wow I didn't know this, how they even have him in the game?

what's next Michael Jackson?

[bjornbear]

Silly peripheral games always making games look bad....