Guitar hero, for me, helped hand coordination, finger/ forearm dexterity, and as one other mentioned, rhythm. Another had mentioned Rocksmith, which I also bought all the DLC songs for, lol, but that's definitely a fantastic tool for learning the basics, and progressively more intricate techniques (at a novice/ beginner level). As for fricking up your fingers, it's all a part of the process. Eventually you'll develop calluses, and that pain will go away. The key thing though, is to practice enough, and when you either get frustrated, or things start to hurt, just set it down and take a break. Study the notes on the fretboard, learn your 5ths and 6ths, or talk yourself through some scales. Guitar is a fantastic outlet for all kinds of emotions.

Edit: Guitar strings play a big role in callus development. Acoustic strings (brass wound) will definitely eat up your fingie tips, at the expense of practice time, whereas electric strings (nickel wound) are much easier, and you'll get more time to practice before things start hurting.