Playing with a guitar controller using a pick has virtually no merit. The feedback between a pick and a plastic strum bar vs. steel strings is entirely different.
The controller strum bar is closer to playing slap bass in that you're alternating between hitting with the thumb and up with the middle or index finger. And even the bass string comparison is pretty poor considering the feel of heavy gauge bass strings is nothing like the loose controller strum bar.
Picking is all about precision in strumming one to any number of strings and those strings only. With only one strum bar, the only thing you're learning technique wise is use of up and down strums for fast riffs.
On the fret hand, other than the obvious difference of essentially playing on one "string" with five frets, I could see a real guitar player changing fingering positions on each button to simulate position of an actual string on a real guitar, but no one plays only the first five frets of a guitar, so... I'll say it's a good tool for learning hammer ons, pulls offs and to a lesser extent, tapping. Beyond that, not so helpful unless it inspires someone who's killed dozens of hours mastering Expert to learn to play a real guitar. And from the sound of it, many have.
If people are actually interested in using a rhythm game to learn how to play the guitar, Guitar Rising should be released later this year, but it looks like it may be PC only. The game is more like a variable setting tutorial that uses REAL GUITARS. Any real electric guitar is the user interface since you're playing for real. I'd like to see the song list, but if it's even half decent and more importantly, provides future additional songs, I'm buying this the day it's available. Total fun way to learn new songs without just downloading Tabs that aren't always accurate and fumbling along.
As for the drums, if I ever manage to get to expert level on RB, I'll BUY a decent drum kit as soon as I'm living in a place sound shielded or isolated enough not to annoy the neighbors.
