10 Video Game Secrets That Broke The Law
8. Zombie Michael Jackson - Plants Vs. Zombies
When Plants vs. Zombies was originally released in 2009, it launched with a Disco Zombie character who bore an unmistakable resemblance to Michael Jackson in his iconic music video for "Thriller."
Jackson himself seemingly had no problem with his image being used in the game, yet following his unexpected death less than two months after the game's release, the presence of an undead caricature of the pop icon unavoidably struck a very different, arguably distasteful chord.
And so, once Jackson's estate caught wind of his image being used in the game, they threatened legal action against developer PopCap Games unless they removed Jackson's likeness from Plants vs. Zombies entirely.
Given that PopCap likely lacked the resources to do legal battle with the titanic coffers of the Jackson estate and, honestly, it probably wasn't worth the hassle, they decided to "retire" the original Disco Zombie design, which was replaced with a more generic-looking 70s-style zombie character.