There's an arms race brewing between Activision's Guitar Hero series and MTV's Rock Band brand. These week, Guitar Hero 5 adds another armament to their stockpile of dead rock stars.

Kurt Cobain, former guitarist and singer from the grunge band Nirvana, will appear in Guitar Hero 5 as a playable character. With the singer comes two Nirvana songs – a previously unreleased live version of "Lithium" and the anthem "Smells Like Teen Spirit." According to Activision, this is the first time the latter tune has been licensed for an entertainment property.

Cobain joins departed country legend Johnny Cash, who will return from the afterlife to play "Ring of Fire" in Guitar Hero 5. Activision's actions are in direct response to moves by rival MTV, who have been long known to have the technology, permission and willingness to leverage the likenesses of deceased Beatles George Harrison and John Lennon in their forthcoming game The Beatles: Rock Band.

Despite this recent escalation, neither firm has threatened to take the nuclear option: Neither has made public plans to put Michael Jackson in one of their music games.

Image courtesy Activision

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