LOS ANGELES (Hypebot) –
Activision has created a cottage industry out of bringing no-longer-with-us rock stars back to life for their video games. That's not what they had in mind when they brought in DJ AM to mix some tracks and do marketing videos for their DJ Hero franchise. But with the turntable artist's recent untimely death, the game maker is thrust into the uncomfortable position of looking like they are exploiting his memory.
But have no fear, the Activision marketing department has the answer! Just turn the game's release and all of DJ AM's mixes and videos in a tribute:
"We are deeply saddened by the loss of DJ AM, who was a tremendous talent, a trusted partner and friend to DJ Hero. Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family. AM was instrumental in the making of DJ Hero and we hope that his work on the game will be a fitting tribute to his creative spirit and musical talent."
Activision is trying to get return on their investment, but is it in good taste? My gut says it's not. Should they have handled the situation differently? I think so, but I admit that I don't have a clear answer how. -by Bruce Houghton
What do you think?
