Fake musicians the world over are increasingly casting aside their fake instruments, reports video game stats go-to firm the NPD Group. Apparently, the short era of plastic rhythm game instruments and accessories is leveling off.

Indeed, the numbers are tanking for both major games in this space, and hard, although analyst Michael Pachter says they should level off at a "healthy" $500 million/year.

Reports Reuters, the recently released and much ballyhooed The Beatles game moved 800,000 units to date, which is 200,000 short of what analysts expected it would sell. Guitar Hero 5, on the other hand, sold just 500,000 this year. The number pales in comparison to the 1.4 million pieces of plastic Guitar Hero III managed to sell during its first month on store shelves. DJ Hero, the latest in the pseudo-instrument series, also disappointed.

Come to think of it, that drum set, when viewed the right way, kind of reminds me of sad face. How apt. And how timely! Mark's latest shooting challenge is all about finding faces in strange places.

In other news, landfills report they'll be very busy in 2010. [Reuters via CrunchGear]