Former Nirvana stars Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic have hit out at the makers of a Guitar Hero game featuring Kurt Cobain, just days after the late star's wife Courtney Love threatened legal action against computer bosses.
Game giant Activision created a Cobain character for Guitar Hero 5, which hit stores on September 1. His image appears alongside Jimi Hendrix in the new game.
The Cobain creation can be used to play two Nirvana songs, as well as a range of 85 tracks by other artists - a move which has left Grohl and Novoselic "dismayed and very disappointed".
They said they "didn't know" Cobain's character could be used to play any kind of song the user wants.
A joint statement from the pair reads, "While we were aware of Kurt's image being used with two Nirvana songs, we didn't know players have the ability to unlock the character.
"This feature allows the character to be used with any kind of song the player wants. We urge Activision to do the right thing in 're-locking' Kurt's character so that this won't continue in the future."
The gamemakers said permission had been granted by Cobain's estate and that his widow had provided written permission for the singer's likeness to be a fully playable character in the fifth game of the series.
However, earlier this week, Love insisted she hadn't approved the use of her late lover's image - and threatened bosses at Activision with a lawsuit.
She wrote on her Twitter.com page, "For the record this Guitar Hero s**t is breach of contract on a Bullys (sic) part and there will be a proper addressing of this and retraction. We are going to sue the s**t out of Activision we being the Trust the Estate the LLC the various LLCs Cobain Enterprises", before adding, "there's been four breaches of a very strict contract".
