Axl Rose suing Activision

Activision’s Guitar Hero series is in hot water with news that Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose is suing the publisher.

The Hollywood Reporter reports that the rock star is angry about Activision’s inclusion of former guitarist Slash in Guitar Hero III. Rose claims that his agreement with the publisher stipulated that neither the former band member nor his subsequent band Velvet Revolver would feature in the title.

Rose adds that upon discovering that both Slash and Velvet Revolver were to feature in Guitar Hero II, he rescinded his authorisations regarding the next game. He then claims that Activision assured him that despite the inclusion of ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ in a trade show demo version of Guitar Hero III, the track would not make it into the final game.

Activision began spinning a web of lies and deception to conceal its true intentions to not only feature Slash and VR prominently in GH IIIbut 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’,” the lawsuit reads.

Of course, a digital version of Slash ended up being the cover star of the third game.

It’s also claimed that the use of ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ in Guitar Hero III was illegal, stating that it was only licensed for use in the previous game.

Rose follows in the footsteps of Courtney Love who last year threatened to sue the publisher over its use of the likeness of her deceased husband Kurt Cobain in Guitar Hero 5.