Grand Theft Auto
"Grand Theft Auto", the first game in the series, was released for Microsoft Windows and MS-DOS in October 1997, ported to the PlayStation in 1998 and the Game Boy Color in 1999. "Grand Theft Auto 2" was released in 1999 for Microsoft Windows, later receiving ports on the PlayStation, Dreamcast and Game Boy Color.
Grand Theft Auto III
"Grand Theft Auto III" is considered to have a leading role in the popularisation of sandbox games, inspiring those such as "True Crime" (2003–05), "Saints Row" (2006–present) and "Crackdown" (2007). The term ""Grand Theft Auto" clone" is frequently used to describe subsequent video games released with similar open-ended gameplay as "Grand Theft Auto III". While previous video games used open world design, including earlier "Grand Theft Auto" games, "Grand Theft Auto III" took this gameplay foundation and expanded it into a 3D world, offering an unprecedented variety of minigames and side-missions. Due to the greater success of the game over its predecessors, it is credited with popularising the open-world genre; Dan Houser felt that the game made it "one of the most vibrant genres today".