When Celebrities Attack: The Ugly Battles Between Game Publishers And The Rich And Famous

With video games getting bigger every year, several celebrities have embraced them as an effective way to market themselves. Unfortunately, the mutually beneficial relationships between game publishers and celebrities can go sour, leading to publicly hostile interactions and even lawsuits. In many cases, the lawsuits are downright outlandish. Check out some of the more famous feuds between video games and celebrities.

Ellen Page – The Last of Us, Beyond: Two Souls

During a 2013 Reddit AMA, the actress accused Naughty Dog of ripping off her likeness for the character of Ellie. “I guess I should be flattered that they ripped off my likeness,” she said. “But I am actually acting in a video game called Beyond: Two Souls, so it was not appreciated.” The relationship with Beyond: Two Souls developer Quantic Dream also grew problematic when a debugged PlayStation 3 allowed a player to view Ellen Page’s character from different angles during shower scenes. Sony quickly moved to have the images and videos taken down and confirmed that the body shots were not of Page, but rather a digital model.

Michael “Shagg” Washington – Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Cypress Hill’s backup singer thought the protagonist of GTA: San Andreas looked too familiar, so in 2010 he filed a lawsuit against Rockstar Games asking for a whopping 25 percent of the company’s profits. Washington claimed he met with Rockstar in 2003 to talk about various aspects of his troubled childhood, which he alleged were used in the story of the main character CJ. In 2012, Washington lost the case against Rockstar, with the judge pointing out that CJ’s likeness and story could have been based on any number of individuals.

Lindsay Lohan and Karen Gravano – Grand Theft Auto V

In 2014, Lohan filed a lawsuit claiming that her likeness, voice, and clothing line were being used in GTA V without permission. Karen Gravano from reality show Mob Wives also filed a lawsuit accusing Rockstar of using her likeness and story for one of the characters in the game. Rockstar has filed papers to have both cases thrown out.  

Justin Bieber – Joustin’ Beaver

In 2012, an Android app developer called RC3 released a game called Joustin’ Beaver in an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the singer. When Bieber’s camp delivered a cease and desist letter, RC3 filed a lawsuit against Bieber, claiming that the game is a parody and is therefore protected under the First Amendment. Though the judge rejected RC3’s lawsuit in Florida in 2012, the app is still available for purchase on the iOS App Store and Google Play store.

On the next page, we look at feuds brought on by Call of Duty, Pokémon, Madden, and Guitar Hero.

from www.GameInformer.com - Top Five http://bit.ly/1UNLs3E