The chief executive of the company behind the Guitar Hero video game franchise has hit out at Warner Music after the label said higher royalties should be paid for use of its songs.

In a sign of increasing tensions between the two companies, Robert Kotick, chief executive of Activision Blizzard, said Warner Music had failed to acknowledge the benefits to music sales from Guitar Hero . The game has sold close to 20m units and generated $1bn in revenues but has also boosted sales of the artists it features.