Nirvana members dismayed by 'Guitar Hero 5'

Kurt Cobain's appearance in the latest "Guitar Hero" video game is not hitting the right notes with the surviving members of Nirvana.

Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl said in a joint statement Thursday that they were "dismayed and very disappointed" that an avatar of the late Nirvana frontman could be used to play songs by other artists.

"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," they said. "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."

[PirateThom]

Activision don't care. They'll peddle out dead celebrities as much as they can.

I doubt Johnny Cash got much say either.

[Feral Gamer]

It's the estate/family/whatever which signs off on it. Activision followed proper protocol and got permission. Blame the people signing the agreement.

[usern4g]

As much as I dont approve of the rush to `boycott` games (or anything else without cogent reason) I support this. Nirvana is a counter-culture paragon and should be treated with reverence.

[AnonUser5555]

I understand his former bandmates being upset--they had no control over the situation. What I absolutely do not get, however, is Courtney Love's apparent disgust: She's the one who signed the agreement!

[- Ghost of Sparta -]

She signed the agreement and now she's suing? Dumb whore rofl.

[mxdan]

Sure she may be stupid for not reading the entire agreement. But she doesn't want someone like kurt being treated like a joke in a game. Calling her a whore is in entirely bad taste GoS.

[IzKyD1331]

But she is a whore....that's a fact

[mxdan]

My issue is more with the word whore in general. Look I know Courtney is a sell out and she does pathetic sh*t on stage but the word whore is probably the most demeaning thing you can say to a girl and in my opinion is on par with the word nigger and other social taboos.

Anybody that uses that word is simply careless and simply pathetic.

[mfwahwah]

^ Different words have different connotations. For me "cunt" would be worse than "whore."

Besides, let people use their own vocabulary. Free speech motha ****a.

[mxdan]

And I'm exercising my right to protest a word that was totally uncalled for.

Your point???

[mfwahwah]

My point is that people can use any word they want without having to censor themselves based on YOUR precious feelings.

You are trying to censor someone because of YOUR problem with some letters that happen to mean a word.

Free speech used to express distaste is far better than free speech used to hold back free speech, commie.

[Major_Tom]

I love this dudes music, but honestly he's a musician he's not a martyr by any means, he was strung out on drugs half the time and lost all his moneyz. So really, yeah it sucks they're stringing this dude up on a cross for it to rain dollar bills but people are taking this way to far.

OH BTW: Courtney Love is a dumbass.

[aldesko]

"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"

OMG! I thought Kurt could only play Nirvana songs in real life! /sarcasm

And I basically agree with everything Major_Tom said.

[Feral Gamer]

LOL, look at the yahoo photo in the article. He looks so wasted, I don't see how druggies can get so popular. It's basically glamorizing the lifestyle.

Love was probably wasted when she signed the agreement. She doesn't remember it because she was sky high.

Activision got the proper papers and even Grohl signed according to Rolling Stone. I've posted the link before, but here it is again.

http://www.rollingstone.com...

"Indeed, securing the proper approvals was no small feat. Not only did Cobain’s widow Courtney Love have to sign off on behalf of the estate, so did former drummer Dave Grohl and Primary Wave Publishing, which administers the Nirvana catalog."

Maybe they should've asked questions before signging something they didn't understand? Who cares about them being "dismayed" anyway?

[djfullshred]

lol, as if the video game scene isn't chock full of stoners. Preach on...haha

[Feral Gamer]

Pot was the least of the drugs Cobain used. How about coke and heroine? Other substances? There's nothing wrong with pot, but you have a draw a line somewhere.

[Harry_Manback]

I hate it when people judge others when they obviously haven't a clue.
Are you seriously confused as to how Kurt Cobain got so popular?...as a "druggie"??
Maybe if you had any intellect at all, you would know how he got so popular, along with many, many other musicians who wrote great music whether they were under the influence of drugs/alcohol or not.

[Feral Gamer]

No, I'm saying he got popular because he was a heavy drug user. Just because somebody is a musician and a drug user doesn't make them cool. To idolize these people makes it ok for them to live their drug induced lifestyles.

If you knew someone who was a major coke head and heroine addict, would you hang out with them regularly? I wouldn't. To associate or hang out with someone into heavy drugs is basically saying it's ok, which it isn't.

While I agree that people should be able to use drugs if they want to, it isn't a very good role model for people. Especially when Love had to inject Cobain with Narcan after a heroine overdose instead of calling an ambulance. Then he later went on to perform his concert? That's a loser for you, both Cobain and Love. He needed medical/psychological attention and he chose not to get it. He self medicated with drugs and alcohol which in my book makes him a loser.

*EDIT* @ below
Depends upon the friend. If I told them they had a problem and they ignored me I would kick them to the curb. They have to make the choice to quit, you can't make anybody stop using. No matter how much support you give someone, it's their decision. If they choose drugs over friends/life, then they deserve to hit bottom. How can you hit bottom and recover if people are idolizing you and cheering for you all the time?

This is coming from an alcoholic.

[Harry_Manback]

I don't recall saying using drugs is cool. And for a musician who indulges and has fans that enjoy their music does not make their lifestyle appropriate by any means. But who are you (or I) to judge and point fingers?
And what if you had a good friend who fell victim to an addictive substance? Would you kick him/her to the curb? Hell no, I wouldn't.

[Marquis_de_Sade]

Feral Gamer, if you're an alcoholic, what gives you the right to preach such nonsense? If alcohol was reclassified in this day and age as an illegal substance, many would like to see it in the same bracket as Heroin.

Alcohol is incredibly easy to become dependent on, as well as the fact people using alcohol become more aggressive. No one is claiming Kurt glamorised the use of hardcore drugs, so I'm not really sure why you started this.

[bunfighterii]

who cares.

[Dawn_Of_Ashes]

rules #1 when you sign paper... Dont be high on drugs.

[iceman06]

Another rule...just to ADD to yours. You might want to READ the agreement before you sign!!! That is IF Courtney Love CAN read!!!*LOL*

[NMC2007]

This has been blown out of the solar system, I am so sick of this, I mean in order to use Kurt in said fashion the gamer/so called Cobain fan whom is so damn outraged, that person has to unlock Cobain and THEN go into the options menu and make Kurt their primary character and choose what they want Kurt to be, this is making it seem like Activision forced Kurt on you and you had to have Kurt play songs that aren't his own.

This whole ordeal reeks of stupidity, not of Activision but of everyone else complaining about it, I bet most of those people do not know what I have stated above, you have to actively choose these options AFTER unlocking Kurt halfway through the game.

JFC this is stupid.

What next, people trying to remove DJ AM from DJ Hero because it's disrespectful? GTFOH idiots.

I am done with this subject.
*goes to bed*

[shutupandplay]

Smells Like Teen Spirit opened up the doors for GRUNGE. R.I.P.

[LeonSKennedy4Life]

I'm pretty sure everyone was dismayed by Guitar Hero 5.

Rock Band forever, baby!

[NaiNaiNai]

still say it would be so funny if they get him singing "let it die", by the foo fighters in game. XD

would be so ironic.

[djfullshred]

Personally I find this whole thing very distasteful and tacky. Peddling a dead man's image to make a buck, and pissing off everyine that knew him in the process. No wonder a lot of real musicians think very lowly of these games.

[DTClown]

and the Beatles huh. hypocrite

[iceman06]

Well...though I understand what you are saying. I can't say that I disagree. We are bombarded with this on a constant basis. The estate of Elvis Presley has made MORE MONEY since he has been dead then when he was alive. Michael Jackson's estate will probably eclipse that within 10 years. Peddling a dead man's image (and music) is the reason why John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, etc. can remain viable as musical legends. Yes, if they were simply taking Cobain out of context and throwing him in a cart racing game or something...I might be inclined to agree. As it stands, they did what they thought was best for his image (with Courtney Love actually picking the hair and wardrobe) and put the man in his element...ON STAGE!!! It could have been a lot worse...they could have had unlockable heroin syringe and shotgun. Capitalism is the foundation of business...which means you take something and sell it to those who WANT it for a perceived value. Activision is not evil for THAT...because the ESTATE should have read the contracts before CASHING IN!!!

[ElementX]

If you were a musician and died, wouldn't you want your likeness to be represented in a game performing your songs? Who cares about unlocking the avatar to perform other songs. Maybe some people like the looks of his avatar and want to play Cobain performing other songs. What's so bad about that?

[Feral Gamer]

As I said before, Love and Grohl signed the proper papers. Blame them if you don't like it.

[beavis4play]

grunge and nirvana had its' "15 minutes of fame" 20 years ago. it was too bad that cobain was so emotionally disturbed that he felt he couldn't continue with his life..........but come on. this whole storyline is stupid.

[thegood33]

15 minutes of fame? This isn't Mr. Big you're talking about, this is Nirvana--a rock and roll pioneer of grunge rock. Don't talk about music if you don't know about music...

[DTClown]

would be an unlock to play as Kobain after he blew his head off with a shotgun! Many sick bastards out there would play that. I would too, at least once!

[Grandreaper9999]

Expect Guitar Zombie, Guitar Zombie 2, and Guitar Zombie 3 by next year. Then probably a Guitar Zombie Greatest Hits: Unearthed.

They'll do it. You watch.

[IronAva]

Everyone thinks we should respect the dead well if that is the case then you should get rid of all your movies, cd's, games, and or family photos that contain people that have passed away. The man made music and is in a music game how bad could it be?

[Feral Gamer]

I agree. So what if you're dead and your widow,widower,friends/family, whoever sign off on some contract to allow you to be in video game/movie? You're dead! It's not as if you're going to come back someday. The same can be said about you being published in a magazine or book after your death.

Once you're dead, you're dead! I don't believe in Heaven and Hell, I think maybe you're reincarnated (anything is possible and I'm still trying to figure out what I believe), however this life is just a small piece of your existence. Even if you live on after this life, why would you care if you're in a video game or not? For the sake of argument, say there is a Heaven. If your image appears in a video game, would you really be bothered? You're in Heaven and all you feel is love, peace, whatever they do in Heaven. You're not going to feel angry about what happens on Earth.

[NegativeCreep427]

Thinking they know Kurt and Nirvana. You may know Mario and Master Chief and Sonic The Hedgehog, but you don't know Nirvana.

Famous Rolling Stone Magazine Quote: "Nirvana did not go mainstream. The mainstream went Nirvana"

KC R.I.P.

[Mr Brownstone74]

haha. ya i know. he keeps talking sh*t like he knows Kurt, Grohl, or Novoselic. all he is doing is just making him sound like an even bigger douche

[3rik]

....so very stupid.....so what if you can unlock him? Its not like he is gonna get pissed about this. He's dead.

I do find it rather amusing and ironic however. He hated all that super capitalism and commercial crap, and now he is used as a tool to make money. Ah well, too bad. He and only he should have a say in this. Too bad he lost a staring contest to a shotgun. (bad taste lol)

[A LIVING LEGEND]

Agree with Pirate Thom 's view on this.The 'profits of doom' .Tasteless and completely a quick cash in.I will stick to my cd collection thanks ,they can have this 'guitar hero' trash.Cobain wasn't really a 'guitar hero' either,the music wasn't really about catchy riffs and technical prowess on finely tuned gibsons,Satriani it wasn't.

[plstcsldgr]

What is messed up, is he killed him self so he wouldn't be part of the corporate agenda and they go ahead and put him in a video game. I mean this guy hated crap like this and activision is like who is the most non conformist person who hates scams with musicians at the front to make money for the suits. This guy didn't want to play "Smells like Teen Spirit" at the MTV VMA's because his OWN song became to poppy so he played "Rape Me." Wow activison how about you do research on your musicians before you take action with your video games. Kurt is probably rolling in his grave.

[PimplePopperMD]

They better recall this piece of garbage game. Kurdt Cobain would be pissed if his image was used in a video game.

[Mr Brownstone74]

i hope activision just would pull the plug on Kurt being in this game. they obviously dont respect him at all. R.I.P. Kurt Cobain

[Thoreau]

people love the band.....move on...

[Goldenarmz]

Sooooo if this is disrespectful to Cobain, then i guess the record companies and people who own his catalog should stop releasing his music, because they are STILL making money off his name . So i dont see how Activison AND his estate making money off a game is any different from the ESTATE still making money off his music catalog. How is one disrespecting him and the other is not. Each one is making money off of him. I think this is a way to keep his music alive and introduce his music to people who probably dont even know who he is until GH5 came out. my 9 year old nephew plays it, do you really think he knows who Nirvana was? Probably but not, but now he does. All thanks to GH5. Idiots...cry about everything.

[A LIVING LEGEND]

Cobain should not have been in this 'game',my opinion.I can think of better suited 'guitar heroes' with ends not so tragic and less questionable.Cobains music was the antithesis of the very thing this nonsense is aspiring to.It isn't about 'rights' rather respect,which all too often is pushed posthumously in an attempt to "rediscover" the greatness........of which many are well aware,without shelling out another 100$.Sad but ultimately true.
idiots........attempting to justify everything.

[Another One]

Activision has all the right paperwork, then there's nothing to complain about. Otherwise, it's just more hyper sensitive people crying about something insignificant.

[EpicCyndaquil]

Hey, all you people in Gamer Zone flaming, why don't you come to my news just to raise the heat?

Kidding of course, but I hope I made a point.

[JD_Shadow]

Doesn't GH5 have a create a rocker feature that GH4 did (I think it did)?

Someone could just make their character look exactly like him, name him "Kurt Cobain", and just do the same thing. Hell, you could do the same thing in Rock Band, too! So are we going to get rid of custom character creation because someone COULD do that?

I have been disliking Activision's latest actions (more or less I wish Bobby Kotick would learn when to not say something), and I love Nirvana's music and the guy's way of using his music to deliver a one-of-a-kind message, but this is pushing it some.

Plus, it would be too little, too late, as some players probably won't have internet connections to their 360s or PS3s to download any patch to do so, and Activision is probably not about to worry about this.

Was it in bad taste? Probably! But it's not as if you're going to magically cure every single thing if you force actions on someone because you didn't like something, especially when it wasn't your decision to begin with.