It’s not all movies and TV here at The Flickcast. We also love to play video games. Some of us have also, at one time or another, been musicians or played an instrument or two. So, we’re obviously big fans of games that let us do both.

Case in point Guitar Hero and Band Hero, both of which allow you to feed your inner rockstar and jam to your favorite hot tunes. Now, that selection of tunes just got a bit hotter with the announcement from Activision that you will be able to get a whole slew of additions for both games this Summer.

Some of the new tracks and content for the games comes from bands like Queen, Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed, Shinedown and more. All in it looks to be a great Summer of rock and roll gaming.

For the complete details, check out the official press release from Activison after the jump. Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero are available for XBox 360, PS3 and Wii.

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Back in Guitar Hero 3, video game developer Activision began including various well known guitarists, both living and passed on, as unlockable characters within the franchise. In the series’ most recent iteration, Guitar Hero 5, which was just released on September 1st, deceased rock legends Johnny Cash and Kurt Cobain were including alongside living rockers Carlos Santana, Shirley Manson, and Matt Bellamy. Now while those still with us had complete control over their likeness being used in the game, Cash and Cobain’s legacies, both real life and digital, are in control of their respective estates.

Tabloid darling Courtney Love was left in control of Cobain’s estate and with that came his digital likeness. Recently, someone brought to Courtney’s attention this video that has been floating around YouTube of her deceased husband in what she and others consider a less than flattering light singing and dancing in the roles of various other musicians like Bon Jovi and Public Enemy.

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Looks like the fans aren’t the only one pissed about Kurt Cobain’s likeness being used for an avatar in Guitar Hero 5. Cobain’s widow, Courtney Love is pretty mad too. But she signed the contract allowing it, according to Kotaku.

Activision told Kotaku, “Guitar Hero secured the necessary licensing rights from the Cobain estate in a written agreement signed by Courtney Love to use Kurt Cobain’s likeness as a fully playable character in Guitar Hero 5.”

The issues started late Wednesday night when Love posted this on her Twitter:

“For the record this Guitar Hero shit is breach of contract on a Bullys part and there will be a proper addressing of this and retraction… WE are going to sue the shit out of ACtivision we being the Trust the Estate the LLC the various LLCs Cobain Enterprises.”

She later admitted that while she had seen an avatar of Cobain during the development stages, she asked to see a “better one”, and had never agreed to let her dead husband’s likeness into the game. Regardless of the merits of Love’s claim, Guitar Hero 5 came out earlier this month, and includes Cobain performing songs by both Bon Jovi and Flavor Flav, further sullying the memory of this revolutionary rock star.

I’m sure you went to your favorite gaming store and purchased your very own copy of Guitar Hero 5 as soon as it came out this week. But just in case you haven’t gotten around to it or are having second thoughts, we’ve got the final release trailer for the game to perhaps overcome your hesitation.

As with many of these trailers, this one is well done and helps visualize the fun and excitement you experience when playing the game. Say what you will about “marketing” but sometimes, the marketing is done so well its almost entertainment itself. Although, as far as game trailers and marketing go, nothing can really beat the Blur racing trailer. If you haven’t seen it, you should really check it out.

In the meantime, be sure to watch this Guitar Hero 5 trailer, get psyched, and go out and buy the game. You’ll be glad you did because the game is a lot of fun. Guitar Hero 5 is out now.

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To the growing list of musical superstars who will grace upcoming Guitar Hero games, we now must add multiple Grammy Award winner, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and legendary singer-songwriter Johnny Cash. Cash will be make his video game debut as a playable character in Activision’s upcoming Guitar Hero 5 game.

According to the company: “Cash’s virtual image will live on as Guitar Hero players can rock out on any instrument controller to ‘Ring Of Fire,’ and even unlock the ability to strum and sing along as the ‘Man in Black’ himself in the all-new Electric Honky Tonk Bar venue.” Cash joins the ever-growing list of playable in-game artists for the game including The Rolling Stones, The White Stripes, Kings of Leon, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Vampire Weekend, plus more than 25 artists from a variety of music genres that will be making their music video game debut.

Check out the trailer featuring Johnny Cash in his video game debut after the jump. Guitar Hero 5 hits store shelves September 1st.

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