'Grand Theft' game comes to Apple screens

The maker of the popular "Grand Theft Auto" videogames said Thursday that a version of the game was being offered for users of Apple's iPhone and iPad devices. Rockstar Games said "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 10th Anniversary Edition" was available for download. It is the successor to Grand Theft Auto III and "is everything we loved about the 80s packed into a sprawling open world action game," said Sam Houser, founder of Rockstar Games. "We're thrilled to let mobile and tablet players experience everything Vice City has to offer." The franchise has sold more than 114 million copies since its debut in 1997. Rockstar is coming out with "GTA V" for Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 videogame consoles or personal computers sometime between March and July. The videogame franchise has won legions of fans and cadres of critics with game play in which triumph depends on acts such as carjacking, gambling and killing. Play in Grand Theft Auto games has included simulated sex with prostitutes and drunken driving. The franchise's appeal is fueled by captivating story lines and an open-world format that lets players go wherever they wish in game worlds.