Music simulation games are the life of the party. This is not just a blanket statement; it is almost an unwritten law in the US. Having a birthday party at home? If there's a video game system around, Rock Band is being played. Cookout? Guitar Hero will attract a line to rival the grill. Whether there's a PS3, an Xbox 360 or a Nintendo Wii in the house Rock Band or Guitar Hero will be present to raise the bar on music-infused revelry. The home isn't the only bastion of band-fantasy gaming. Take a walk around Alphabet City in New York, and instead of finding bars with the typical Karaoke night, you'll find Guitar Hero and Rock Band night. Yes, I was just as shocked as you are.

I had my first taste of music simulation gaming at a cookout. While I hovered around the grill, hoping to snag the next burger, I heard the faint sound of laughter coming from inside. "Why would people be inside on a perfect weather day with tons of food cooking on the grill, I pondered? Walking slowly inside, with a keen eye still on that precious burger, I discovered the source of the commotion. Several people were gathered around four aspiring rockers playing an intense game of Guitar Hero on the PS3. A man in his early 30s was on drums. His 10-year old son played guitar. A woman in her teens was on guitar, while her best friend held the mic. The crowd cheered the band to the tone-def singing of the best friend. I didn't understand what was going on. And, that burger was still not ready. What was this magical game that transcending age, sex and race? Finally the song ended, and magically the guitar fell into my hand. Instantly, I was infused with the mystical power of the Rocker. It was something out of "Brutal Legend," except this was real. And, I have been addicted to musical sims ever since. As for the burger, it never did get eaten - at least not by me.

The premise of these games is simple. Pick a song. Play the song. The better you do, the more the crowd cheers. Each game comes with about 40 songs. More songs can be downloaded through the online stores of Xbox Live, the Wii Shop Channel or the Playstation Network.

But, I wonder, are musical simulation games just another pop-culture fad? Guitar Hero initially launched on the PS2 in November 2005. Four years later, and now with the rival franchise Rock Band; you'd have to argue that these games are anything but a fad. When Rock Band came onto the scene introducing the concept of a full band (have to love the drums) the musical sim market had a renaissance. Guitar Hero immediately countered with World Tour in 2008, and cymbals for their drum set. Party play with four band members brought the Karaoke experience home rock style. 2008's holiday season saw wall to wall gaming stores packed with Rock Band and World Tour gift boxes blocking exits.

Group gameplay isn't the only thing that's keeping these game phenomena alive. Rock Band and Guitar Hero have always been "all about the songs." People choose their allegiance to a title based on the music library. Countless Michael Jackson fans are always upset to find a Rock Band party without MJ because the Smooth Criminal's "Beat It" can only be found on Guitar Hero.

Recently, Harmonix announced they've added over 1,000 songs available for download on Rock Band. And, fans are online daily looking for new songs to add to their playlist. Guitar Hero lags slightly behind Rock Band in available downloadable content (DLC). However, Guitar Hero more than makes up for this lag by offering exclusive releases. Last year, Guitar Hero introduced Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, followed by 2009's Guitar Hero: Metallica. Gamers quickly anted up full price for the games even though they could not use any of the songs from their existing library with these exclusive installments. Band Hero was also added to the Guitar Hero library to give gamers a chance at a more Pop music experience. Although these games were good, they felt more like recycled versions of the main releases. Several gamers complained that the games weren't worth full price to just have a mimicked experience of World Tour (Metallica) or Guitar Hero 5 (Band Hero). Guitar Hero Van Halen is scheduled for release later this year, but will most likely also be another rehash of Guitar Hero 5.

Rock Band countered this concern with Rock Band Beatles by taking the musical sim experience one step further. Instead of simply incorporating the Beatles playlist into the Rock Band 2 interface, the Beatles edition creates a fully immersive historical experience. Gamers play as the Beatles through settings and images from the Beatles life. As the years pass by, the do the fashions and look of your Beatles' avatars. This was more than a simple game; it was a historical experience as you unlocked photos and stories from the Beatles life.

The Guitar Hero franchise wasn't outmatched yet, they released DJ Hero in October introducing a whole new style of gameplay to music sims. Instead being a part of the band, you were the DJ - rockin' the club with deft mixes of over 100 songs. The group gameplay may not be the same, but it's still a fun alternative for people craving more hip-hop or pop songs. Being a former DJ myself, I completely appreciate this push forward in musical gaming. iPhone app makers have already jumped on the DJ bandwagon. Games like Delicious Vinyl DJ allow you to do some touch screen DJ'ing. Though hardly as fun as DJ Hero, and lacking a large playlist, this is still a clever distraction while traveling.

So, are musical simulations done? Hardly. As we enter a new year, I am optimistic about the future of music sims. Both Harmonix, makers of Rock Band, and Activision, makers of Guitar Hero, have shown their fervor to introduce new and innovative experiences to the musical sim genre with Rock Band: Beatles and DJ Hero, respectively. Maybe next we'll see a totally immersive King of Pop experience for Michael Jackson? How about a hybrid innovation between DJ and Rock Band? The future is bright for musical sims, and I'm ready to play my heart out.