Lawsuits against Activision regarding celebrity likenesses in their Guitar Hero games are nothing new. No Doubt was unhappy with "Band Hero," and Courtney Love was thoroughly dissatisfied with the use of Kurt Cobain in "Guitar Hero 5." Now, Axl Rose has decided to turn a grievance with "Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock" into a legal matter, and he wants $20 million.
It's no secret that Axl Rose would prefer not to have Guns N' Roses' former guitarist Slash associated with his band in any way now, but court documents uncovered by Radar Online explain that Rose believes he was misled about how "Welcome to the Jungle" was used in "GT3," to the extent that he claims he only agreed to let it appear if it never came into contact Slash over the course of the game.
Well, anyone who's played "GH3" knows that Slash's likeness appeared in it prominently, and Rose alleges that he was assured that neither Slash nor his band Velvet Revolver would be associated with Gun N' Roses' classic track. The court documents even claim that Rose was told as recently as August 2007, just before "GT3" came out, that Slash and Velvet Revolver would not be featured.
With up to $20 million in damages, punitive damages and other costs at stake now in this case alone, it's easy to see why Activision veered away from celebrity likenesses and stuck with fictional characters for "Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock." Nevertheless, if Rose feels cheated, you can bet he's not going to walk away from this disagreement quietly.
What do you think about the way "Welcome to the Jungle" was used in "GT3"? Should Activision have kept Slash and the track apart? Share your opinions with us in the comment section below.