The maker of the controversial Guitar Hero video game featuring KURT COBAIN has spoken out about the scandal - insisting the star’s image use was approved by his estate.
The late frontman, who committed suicide in 1994, can be used by players to perform a number of songs, including Jon Bon Jovi’s You Give Love A Bad Name.
His widow Courtney Love announced earlier this month (Sep09) she is taking legal action against chiefs at gaming giant Activision, insisting she never would have agreed to the project if she knew Cobain would be "reincarnated" for renditions of hits other than his own.
But Guitar Hero CEO Dan Rosensweig is confident the game details were clearly set out when representatives of Cobain’s estate signed documents to allow his image to be used.
He tells NME.com, "I do know that there’s absolutely a contract and we know that the cheque has been cashed. I can only deal with the facts. It’s very clear what the terms are." Former Nirvana rockers Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl voiced their anguish at Cobain’s image being used to sing other artists’ tracks, saying they were "dismayed and very disappointed". Bon Jovi also waded into the debate, admitting that he too disapproved of the use of Cobain’s image.
Rosensweig was hit hard by the rockers’ condemnation of the game, and claims the makers’ top priority is the welfare of stars they use.
He adds, "We care about the artists more than anyone else and we would like to make artists happy in every circumstance.
"I’m disappointed in this case that there seems to be confusion between the band and the estate. It’s really not Guitar Hero’s confusion. We went and spoke directly to the estate and made it crystal clear, got the rights, paid for the rights, and really we’ve done what we’ve always done. The fact that the rest of the band and the estate did not communicate… I can’t speak for everybody being happy."
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