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Blockbuster isn't afraid to try something a little crazy now and then. Recently they tried to buy Circuit City and they're in the process of expanding the video game sections of their 4,800 stores.

The Dallas-based retailer's primary competition is just a little bit north, Grapevine's gaming megapower GameStop. Blockbuster hopes to pick up the many casual gamers that Nintendo's brought to the party with their Wii console.

So this Friday Blockbuster's breaking out a publicity stunt aimed squarely at the casual gaming public with Guitar Hero III. Blockbuster chief Jim Keyes and Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert will jam on the game at the beginning of a 24-hour charity tournament. The marathon tourney will benefit non-profit foundation Education is Freedom and the positive publicity will surely benefit Blockbuster.

Prizes include a Wii console, a signed copy of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and two round-trip Southwest Airlines tickets. Make no mistake, though: The real competition firing up here has little to with Guitar Hero and everything to do with a share of the gaming marketplace.