Activision Vandalizes Statue of Jimi Hendrix With Guitar Hero
By Jonathan on Monday, June 9th, 2008 at 9:32 PM PST In Activision, Game Companies, Gamer Life, Games Industry
Ok, just stop it already, Activision. You want to drag the Guitar Hero franchise to the ground as quickly as possible, fine; just don’t bring Hendrix into it. The company recently decided to celebrate the fact that a couple of Guitar Hero performances would take place at this year’s Isle of Wight Festival, an event partly known for featuring one of Jimi Hendrix’s last performances before his tragic death. So how does one celebrate a fake guitar performance? By vandalizing a tribute to a real guitar legend, it seems. Activision decided to deck out a bronze statue of Hendrix to make it look like he was holding a Guitar Hero controller instead of an actual instrument.
Just what do you think you’re doing here, Activision? It’s a known fact that putting a Guitar Hero controller in someone’s hand just makes them look less cool (exceptions include politicians, Hollywood stars, and nude women). This is like some scheme Cobra Commander would try and pull. And then he’d stop himself and say, “No wait, that’s too evil. Cobra!”
Via MusicRadar
That’s a completely fake photo. It’s photoshopped,and quite badly at that.
What’s everyone’s beef with the direction Guitar Hero’s taking!?
I can understand that GH: Aerosmith and GH: Metallica and the statue is a little much, but I do not see any problem with Guitar Hero: On Tour (DS) and Guitar Hero IV aka World Tour.
I doubt it’s photoshopped, source seems reliable.
“I can understand that GH: Aerosmith and GH: Metallica and the statue is a little much, but I do not see any problem with Guitar Hero: On Tour (DS) and Guitar Hero IV aka World Tour.”
That’s four games.
In what… one year’s span? Yeah.
Couldn’t they have done this to like the giant guitars at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or something instead?
Yeah very clearly photoshopped image. I’m sure the story is real, but the colored buttons in the image are very fake.
What’s wrong with Guitar Hero 4 you say? How about the fact that it’s Rock Band coming out a year later from the guys that continued the guitar hero franchise after Harmonix decided to ditch it for Rock Band.
“What’s wrong with Guitar Hero 4 you say? How about the fact that it’s Rock Band coming out a year later from the guys that continued the guitar hero franchise after Harmonix decided to ditch it for Rock Band.”
Nothing wrong with a little competition. Never hurt no one.
that has to one of the worst photoshopped pictures i have seen
its escpecially sad to see on this site.
Right, this isn’t vandalism. If the photo is real it just seems that they were stuck on and they can easily be removed. I doubt a company like Activision would actually nail real buttons and logos on such a historic statue.
It’s stupid but that isn’t vandalism. Vandalism would be if they did screw those in and caused almost permanent damage. If they cut off his head that would be vandalism. If they stuck little buttons on that seem like they can be removed quite easily that isn’t. This is just a silly little thing they did to promote Guitar Hero.
I don’t agree with what they did but it’s pretty obvious that this isn’t long term. I don’t think even Activision would pull such a stunt.
yes, it’s only vandalism if the damage is permanent, like graffiti
Very poorly manipulated photograph.
OMG…I just threw up in my mouth a little after seeing how badly this picture was doctored.
Haha that isn’t photoshopped.
lmfao thats not photoshopped
next up for activision: a Stairway to Heaven cover in GH4
LOL, don’t mess with Hendrix!
JT
http://www.FIreMe.To/udi
You wouldn’t know photoshop if you had it installed on your computer.
The image is real, and the upheaval is silly. Back in my hometown of Indiana PA there is a status of Jimmy Stewart pointing forward. The kids used to put toy guns in his hand every year back when toy guns looked real. People thought it was funny, not a reason to boycott Mattel.
Learn to play a real guitar ya bunch of wanker, wannabe, n00bs!
It isn’t photoshoped… they are 3d plastic “buttons” of a sort, like a real company would use, not stickers like some goofy 13 y/o would make and use to do this. And I agree with matt, seems like most of you wouldn’t know photoshop if was smacking you across the face with a wacom.
Anyway, this is TRUELY wrong… don’t insult Legends in their field by bringing them down to the level of common hobbyists. I seriously doubt that you would have ever found Jimmy in his basement, yelling for his mom to bring him more pizza rolls cuz he just HAS to nail this solo.
insult all the Legends you want, its a free country. Get a life. If you want to idolize a dead junkie, be my guest. Hendrix was an idiot, convincing other idiots that he had something worthy of notice. Plus he sang like a damn walrus. All you hendrix freaks are afraid to say anything bad about him, and you are clueless about music. I’m glad he’s dead and I hope he stays that way.
I live just a few blocks from that statue in Seattle. People stick cigarettes in his mouth and all kinds of weird things like scarves in the winter.
This isn’t vandalism it’s just lame, commercialism.
C’mon. Just have fun and let it go. Geez.
Yeah that is definitely not photoshopped, they just added some big thick stickers to the original statues guitar.
hey! screw that this article who is the hot chick on that advertising at the bottom?? Cobra!!
A) That photo is totally fake. I could have done better than that.
B) It’s hilarious! If activision wants to “vandalize” a statue by putting fake buttons on it, who cares? Assuming that photo is real (which it isn’t), it certainly isn’t permanent. It’s a gag. I think people are waaaayyyy too sensitive to get up in arms about something so trivial.
Guitar Hero is a video game about playing the guitar. Hendrix was an awesome guitar player. Tie in is pretty damn obvious.
Everyone just needs to relax. I feel like so many things are taken too personally. It’s kind of funny. putting a plastic guitar in jimi hendrix is not going to change my opinion on how good a guitar player he is. in fact, if he was still alive he’d probably be pretty bomb at guitar hero.
The photo is a fake .. don’t believe me … proof -> http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb218/unleash_x/fake.jpg
The shadow on the GH logo is at a diff angle than other shadows
No water drops on any of the GH “pieces”
The finger on the blue button has no shadow and is harsh .. a bad PS mask job
Above teh blue button is a flat grey paint stroke
The buttons are all at the same blur .. pathetic attempt at depth of field ..
The first button has a flat black side … 100% black is almost never seen in nature.
Also the logo piece is just a foam core cutout (you can see how rough the edges are) …
Jimmy Hendrix isn’t that great, why are you so pissed? it actually looks like someone ct the pieces out of construction paper and put a cardboard guitar hero logo
How stupid do you have to be to think that it is photoshopped? Yeah the guys over at Kotaku are really laughing this one up. God you are all idiots!
Are you guys f*cking idiots? Honestly, its photoshoped, ive been working with photoshop for some 5 years now, and that is just a really sh*tty photoshop job. like unleash said, just check this out:
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb218/unleash_x/fake.jpg
Dude…he was a guitarist and it’s just a game. They doctored (poorly i might add) a photo as an advertisement. They didn’t call Hendrix a Nazi. He’s not Jesus. It’s just a statue. Chill.
Go Unleash! You teach these kids what’s up.
And btw article, sensationalism at its worst. Shame on you.
Wow, how embarrassing for you. It’s an obvious photoshop.
Alright simply put… Humans are not gods.. We need to stop idolizing them no matter what great of an accomplishment they made. He’s dead, he can’t hear your calls of praise to him. He was a great guitarist during his time, he’s influenced some of our generation’s most famed guitarist but that doesn’t mean we have to be on his dick for everything, even a stupid statue. I can bet you guys are the same guys that would go to a war memorial and crack jokes and talk about how lame it is but as soon as its a rock legend its sacred. Get over it.
oh btw.. LOL OMG PHOTOHSOPEDDP.
The buttons are clearly photoshopped, but the Guitar Hero logo looks real. What appears to be a false shadow is actually a reflection. You can see that the shadow along the bottom is correctly oriented.
If all they did was take a picture and return the statue to its original state, what’s the deal. If they actually broke it or “vandalized” it. No where in the report it it say there was permanent damage. Some people need to chill.
Cry more, even if the photo was real, they wouldn’t make it permanent.
SHOOPED!
to all those guys who were like: “omg this is so not photoshopped, its real! you guys are idiots!” – hahahahahahahaha!!! its best to keep your mouth shut if you obviously know nothing about what you are talking about, in this case graphic editing. This photo has clearly been manipulated with some form of graphics program. Who’s the idiot now?
So this probably didn’t really happen. And its rather dissapointing its caused so much speculation. on the other hand, if it did happen, then i’d be a bit bleek with activision, not cool.
Ok, This is just simply wrong.. Since the Last 2 Guitar hero games that came out didn’t even have Hendrix in them… and too say the least to have a game called “Legends of Rock” and not have one Hendrix song in it, is pure bullshit. This is pure torment for me to say the least, Hendrix was and still is the best musician. Activison should dedicate an entire series to the man himself…
why people make this sthing
i dont get why people do
BAD BAD PHOTOSHOP WORK!!!
MUST IMPROVE SKILLS BEFORE TOUCHING A GUITAR GOD!
*sigh* For all of you kiddies screaming “oh it’s photoshopped” it’s not. It’s called “out of focus” this tends to happen when you get up from your desk, go outside, and take pictures. I know the thought of this seems scary but trust me…some sun is good for you. As for the buttons and logo it seems to just be cut out on Styrofoam or cardboard and probably left on there with an easy peel adhesive. Activision might do this to be cheeky but they would never intentionally cause damage. As for the whole “how could you do this to a legend?!?!” argument…Well folks, it’s called a prank. Take the stick out of your asses. have a wee bit of fun now and again.