Axl Rose Suing Activision For Putting Slash in Guitar Hero III

[radio667]

from filefront.com ............ Axl Rose is pretty upset that Activision featured former bandmate Slash in Guitar Hero III.

The Guns N’ Roses frontman is suing Activision for $20 million for its inclusion of Slash in the game after the band licensed the use of its song, “Welcome to the Jungle,” supposedly on the condition that the former GnR guitarist wouldn’t be associated with it.

It seems “not associated with it” translated to Activision as being “the face of the game on the cover and in all advertising.”

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court yesterday, claims Activision lied about Slash’s role in the game in order to get GnR to license “Welcome to the Jungle.” According to the Hollywood Reporter , Rose tried to back out of the licensing deal after he found out Velvet Revolver and Slash would make it into Guitar Hero II, but Activision told him the inclusion of Slash was for demo purposes at a trade show. Then GH III came out, and Rose called his lawyer.

Here’s an excerpt from the complaint:

“[Activision] began spinning a web of lies and deception to conceal its true intentions to not only feature Slash and VR prominently in GH III but also promote the game by emphasizing and reinforcing an association between Slash and Guns N’ Roses and the band’s song ‘Welcome to the Jungle.’”

For good measure, Rose is also claiming Activision used “Sweet Child O’ Mine” for GH III when it was only licensed for GH II.

Why it has taken Rose three years to figure out he was supposedly duped and file a lawsuit, however, isn’t clear. Maybe he wanted to wait for Activision to make some money and break some sales records with Call of Duty games before he went after his $20 mil.

Via gamesradar .

[SkaarjMaster]

Sounds like the whinner has a legitimate complaint, unless some mumbo-jumbo verbage in the contract says not. Activision needs to give him his money and suck it.