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The most popular video games of today are all about rock n roll, including the recently released Guitar Hero: World Tour and Rock Band 2. These games, if you are not familiar with them, are sold alongside plastic, simplified, pseudo-instruments used to play through the most popular of rock ballads.

For what it’s worth, Rock Band and Guitar Hero are a blast – especially with a few buddies and a few drinks. Anyone can get some dorm cred by pulling out a pair of Guitar Hero axes at the end of the night. But these games are insanely popular… to the point that I wonder how they are affecting the real music industry?

Everyday after work, my friend John would come home to play Guitar Hero until his fingers hurt. He got crazy good at the game. We would joke that if he spent that time playing guitar for REAL, then maybe he could become a REAL rock star. But there may be truth behind the humor. Playing games and listening to music is great, but devoting your time to mastering fake instruments seems sort of ridiculous. After all, the games are not really a means for creation. You play other artists’ music, and you either get the note right or get the note wrong. There is no variation or style involved. There are song editors, but you are still pretty limited as far as tools and exposure.

Playing music in video games isn’t a new phenomenon by any means. The concept has been in use in Japanese arcades for the past 20 years. I recall Samba De Amigo, a 1999 Dreamcast title that included plastic maracas for shakin’ to the beat. These new games are different, though. Getting your song in Guitar Hero means exposure to millions of teenagers who will potentially seek out more of your stuff.

At the end of the day, I don’t care. People that are inspired by the sensation of being a fake guitarist may go out and learn to play for real. And, there will probably be the people who pick up guitar and expect it to be as simple as colored notes. Either way, anything that can push Rock into the popular spotlight in place of the top 40 crap can’t be that bad. Thoughts?