Karaoke Revolution

A music video game series developed by Harmonix and published by Konami, where players sing into a microphone to match pitch.

Simulation

13

Games

2003–2011

Years

9

Platforms

$8.40

Ø CIB

+7.4%

24M change

About

Karaoke Revolution is a pioneering music video game series that debuted with the original Karaoke Revolution in 2003. The franchise expanded with regional spin-offs like Karaoke Revolution: Anime Song Collection (2003) and sequels including Karaoke Revolution 2 (2004) and Karaoke Revolution 3 (2004). A reboot, also titled Karaoke Revolution, was released in 2009 for seventh-generation consoles.

Developed primarily by Harmonix and published by Konami, the franchise utilized proprietary voice-recognition technology to analyze a player's pitch and rhythm in real time. Players sang into a USB microphone, matching on-screen pitch bars to score points. The original Karaoke Revolution (2003) established this core mechanic on the PlayStation 2.

To expand accessibility, Konami released Karaoke Revolution 3 [Microphone Bundle] (2004) alongside the standalone Karaoke Revolution 3 (2004), ensuring players had the necessary hardware to participate. The series also saw platform expansion with the Xbox release of Karaoke Revolution (2004), which introduced online multiplayer via Xbox Live. In Japan, the franchise targeted localized markets with Karaoke Revolution: Anime Song Collection (2003), featuring popular anime themes. Following sequels like Karaoke Revolution 2 (2004), the series transitioned to seventh-generation consoles with the Karaoke Revolution (2009) releases, which added character customization and venue creators. This gameplay foundation heavily influenced Harmonix's later work on the Rock Band series, cementing the franchise's role in the evolution of the music game genre.