Of course this wasn’t some haze that had some of the world’s finest guitarists stumbling - it was the output of an inexperienced “Guitar Hero.” Holding a plastic guitar loaded with colorful buttons connected to an Xbox 360 console, I felt like I was playing the Simon memory game, made famous in the early 1980s. The mission is simple: press the colored buttons, which mimic notes, at the rate featured on the television screen. The execution, however, is difficult.

Even so, the “Guitar Hero” franchise already has transcended video games. The mini-sized guitar has forged itself as an interactive entertainment symbol for the entire family - not just teenaged boys, slamming Mountain Dew and playing until 3 a.m. And the numbers don’t lie. The franchise released its third edition of the game in November, grossing $115 million in its first week on the market, and is already tabbed as one of the hottest items this Christmas.

Video games for the family are here to stay. “We are starting to see an alternative market for video games,” said Brian Lucas, a spokesman for Best Buy. “(’Guitar Hero’) is not just something we see kids doing. With ‘Guitar Hero,’ parents will join in because they are not as easily intimidated by the guitar as they would be with a controller that has a lot of buttons.

The guitar - you pick it up and play it.” Rockers are supposed to suit up and take the stage, playing songs from Cream to Ozzy Osbourne. If you play well, you are rewarded with points and crowd applause. If you don’t, you butcher the songs and the crowd showers your character with disapproval. The game can be played on Xbox 360, Playstation II, Playstation III and Nintendo Wii gaming consoles. The game is among the most popular attractions at Best Buy this season.