Even though his songs have landed in music games far and wide, Jon Bon Jovi said in a recent interview that he turned down Activision's offer to be included as a playable character in Guitar Hero 5. "They [Activision] wanted me to be on that game and I just passed," Bon Jovi told the BBC. "To hear someone else's voice coming out of a cartoon version of me? I don't know," he added, siding with Kurt Cobain's widow Courtney Love, and others tied to the Nirvana estate, against the use of Cobain's likeness in GH5.
Bon Jovi explained that no one at Activision "even broached the subject with me that I would be singing other people's stuff ... I don't know how I would have reacted to that." In the meantime, Activision has retorted that Love did evidently sign a contract -- but according to Bon Jovi's statements, it appears as though she may have not reacted to the fine print.
Reader Comments (66)
Posted: Sep 17th 2009 12:14PM (Unverified) said
Why do you still come here SpyderTaco? You are consistently downvoted, meaning no one values or cares for your opinion. Maybe you'll have better luck on another forum, it's time to move on from here.
Posted: Sep 17th 2009 12:18PM xGeneral DEATHxDEETH82 said
Here we ho again...
Posted: Sep 17th 2009 12:24PM onlysublime said
these people need to grow up. i think it's a great tribute! my mom died from cancer and if i could see her singing her heart out in the game, i'd be touched. i don't see how burying him completely is a tribute. she doesn't even talk about him at all for the past few years. she doesn't even say "i dedicate this song to..." during her concerts. he's all but disappeared.
Posted: Sep 17th 2009 12:42PM borland502 said
Yes, but from what I understand of Kurt Cobain he hated that sort of thing. So to take the example of your loved one, if she hated the idea of seeing herself like that in a game...would it be a tribute even if you thought it was a peachy keen idea?
And even aside from Courtney Love, you can't call something a tribute if the subject would have loathed the thought of the idea. Like an earlier poster said...Elvis yeah, a mercurial artist that hated whoredom in music, no.
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And even aside from Courtney Love, you can't call something a tribute if the subject would have loathed the thought of the idea. Like an earlier poster said...Elvis yeah, a mercurial artist that hated whoredom in music, no.
Posted: Sep 17th 2009 2:01PM onlysublime said
show me one shred of proof that he would've hated this... you're just spouting conjecture. i know for a fact that's she's never dedicated a song to him. someone she supposedly loved (which now I doubt).
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Posted: Sep 17th 2009 2:48PM borland502 said
I don't know for certain if he'd love it or hate it, so there is no "proof". But you also seem pretty damn certain it'd be a fitting tribute. I think it's cynical on Activision's part, but cynical is part of business. I'm neither wounded that he's included, nor proud to see him there.
The only part of your entire diatribe that grates on me is your buy-in that people cashing in on a tragic legacy is somehow "good". So while I'm assuming things, I'm going to assume that you find the never ending Michael Jackson tributes to be emotionally stirring. I tend to find them sad mockeries. My personal taste for tributes are historical books or documentaries that examine both the good and bad parts of a star without blowing either out of proportion. And I certainly don't think an animated puppet to be a celebration of anyone.
I can't react with horror, because stars are exploited dead or alive. If they're lucky, they get to reap the rewards of that exploitation while alive. But I cannot comprehend your insistence, regardless of anything else, that animated Kurt signing "Kryptonite" is a tribute. People that care about Kurt or his music aren't forgetting him jackass. And the rest of us don't appreciate him enough to eulogize him ad infinitum.
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The only part of your entire diatribe that grates on me is your buy-in that people cashing in on a tragic legacy is somehow "good". So while I'm assuming things, I'm going to assume that you find the never ending Michael Jackson tributes to be emotionally stirring. I tend to find them sad mockeries. My personal taste for tributes are historical books or documentaries that examine both the good and bad parts of a star without blowing either out of proportion. And I certainly don't think an animated puppet to be a celebration of anyone.
I can't react with horror, because stars are exploited dead or alive. If they're lucky, they get to reap the rewards of that exploitation while alive. But I cannot comprehend your insistence, regardless of anything else, that animated Kurt signing "Kryptonite" is a tribute. People that care about Kurt or his music aren't forgetting him jackass. And the rest of us don't appreciate him enough to eulogize him ad infinitum.
Posted: Sep 17th 2009 8:50PM (Unverified) said
Patrick, listen to this commenter. They're not alone with their logic.
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Posted: Sep 17th 2009 12:25PM Clownzilla said
I know people are saying that this shows that Bon Jovi is "not about the money" but he has plenty of it and this would be a drop in the bucket as a source of income. It wouldn't matter to him if he did it or not but money is NOT a factor in his decision. What upsets me about Bon Jovi (and 99% of professional actors and musicians) is that 100% of their entire success is based on fans that like their movies and music yet these same musicians and movie stars think that they are above their fans desires. Don't get me wrong, I think that Bon Jovi has EVERY RIGHT to make this decision. I just think that Bon Jovi and the others are getting too comfortable giving the "middle finger" to the very people that put them where they are. Nothing we can do (or should do) about it though. These actors and musicians are just disillusioned to how "special" they are and the last time I checked that wasn't a crime.
Posted: Sep 17th 2009 12:32PM Ozirus33 said
I just don't see the big deal about a cartoon version of yourself. Or if someone is singing "through" you.
Also... If she's retarded enough to not read the entire contract then that's her problem. God forbid she has a lawyer review it... I mean she is getting paid for doing essentially nothing but sign a piece of paper.
Also... If she's retarded enough to not read the entire contract then that's her problem. God forbid she has a lawyer review it... I mean she is getting paid for doing essentially nothing but sign a piece of paper.
Posted: Sep 17th 2009 12:42PM rahmenxnoodles69 said
That lying bitch killed him.
Posted: Sep 17th 2009 1:05PM (Unverified) said
"Actually if you look at my history there is a fair amount of people who are willing to upvote, dare I say even blue my posts."
For every upvote, you get 2 or 3 downvotes. Nice try. You usually get upvoted for something funny, but downvoted when you talk rationally. Makes me wonder, are you here to have a semi-serious conversation or are you here to throw a joke whenever you get the chance?
Also, I 100% agree with Bon Jovi. As a musician myself, I'd hate to have an in-game likelyness of myself sing something like Dragonforce and the etc.
For every upvote, you get 2 or 3 downvotes. Nice try. You usually get upvoted for something funny, but downvoted when you talk rationally. Makes me wonder, are you here to have a semi-serious conversation or are you here to throw a joke whenever you get the chance?
Also, I 100% agree with Bon Jovi. As a musician myself, I'd hate to have an in-game likelyness of myself sing something like Dragonforce and the etc.
Posted: Sep 17th 2009 1:54PM (Unverified) said
ITS MY LIKE....ness, I AINT GONNA SING SOMEONE ELSE'S
Posted: Sep 17th 2009 2:16PM (Unverified) said
What was that SpyderTaco? Your post is too whited out to read.
Posted: Sep 17th 2009 2:45PM (Unverified) said
Love the caption... no pun intended.
Posted: Sep 17th 2009 5:07PM Haohmaru said
Fuck Activision. I know of few artists who would knowingly consent to allowing someone else's voice to come out of an in-game avatar version of him/herself. It's bullshit and they need to change it.
Posted: Sep 17th 2009 6:58PM StrudelB said
Da fuck? Bon Jovi was going to be in this game? But he turned it DOWN?
Well, now I'm definitely not buying the game.
Well, now I'm definitely not buying the game.






