Some video games involve karaoke, an activity where people sing the lyrics to songs whose vocal tracks have been removed. Karaoke video games contain a microphone connected to the console. In these games, the player sings into the microphone and the game judges the person's ability to hit the right notes. Games include "SingStar" and "Rock Band."
Instrument games became more common with the introduction of "Guitar Hero." In this game, players play instruments to songs by pop music artists. "Rock Band" is a similar game although it features drums, vocals and keyboards in addition to guitars. "DJ Hero" has a turntable, giving players the ability to mix and play tracks as they see fit.
Music games online have become more common, especially with the music game genre boom on home video game systems. These games are typically produced by amateur video game makers, but many are similar to their console counterparts. Using the keyboard or mouse, players can follow along with or create their own music with a selection of instruments.
Many games don't focus on creating music, but involve music. One such game is "Dance Dance Revolution," or DDR for short. In DDR, players dance on a dance pad to the music using certain steps. The game gets harder the better you do.