Here we go again, alternative rock band No Doubt have filed a lawsuit against Activision, claiming their image was used inappropriately in the popular game “Band Hero”. Both parties had an agreement to use the band members in the game.However, the band has taken offense at the use of avatars of their “characters” being able to sing other bands’ songs. The suit specifies one in particular where “the Gwen Stefani avatar in a male voice boasting about having sex with prostitutes.”The band is seeking damages, as well as a cease and desist order for distributing the game as is. It would also like current copies recalled. Activision has responded, saying the suit was “without merit”. 
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I admit, I don’t really care about all the music game madness anymore. I own a couple of these games and I have a closet full of plastic instruments that only come out when friends and family are visiting. I don’t play these games to try and get high scores or five star every song. I use these games as an interactive karaoke system for parties. I know there is always a lot of internet buzz surrounding the two flag ship franchises in the genre (Rockband and Guitar Hero) and which one is the better platform but I am not the right person to make that call.
I read the articles every year claiming one of these games is going to fail but neither platform appears to be going away anytime soon. Personally, I prefer Rockband because I like the Harmonix approach to positioning the game as platform instead of a disc that they release every quarter. Their model caters to the way I use these kind of games. I do find the current trend in musicians suing Activision over their recent dealings with company interesting though. If these lawsuits continue will artists start to view Activision as a company that will not represent them in a favorable manner? Will the company start to loose the support of the music industry that allows them to use the licensed material that make their games successful?
The handful of artists that have recently taken action against the company is insignificant if you look at the big picture, but if this continues to happen it’s possible others may become hesitant towards dealings with Guitar Hero brand. Without the support of the artists and the music companies there wont be a future for Guitar Hero brand. I am not trying to say the Guitar Hero brand is going away or it is in any kind of trouble, but if this type of thing continues, it could be the downfall of the franchise.
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