The PS3 launched with a slew of problems, not the least of which was the extremely high price. A few years into its life, Sony was able to steer the ship in the right direction. Unfortunately, consoles with online capabilities run into problems after their production stops, because of games requiring a connection to the Internet.
The console is over 15 years old, so many games are becoming impossible to play. The titles listed below are either multiplayer-only and their servers shut down, or they have been delisted and physical copies are hard to come by. At least there are still ways to play many of these titles on other platforms.
Updated February 20, 2022, by Jason Wojnar: The PlayStation store on the PS3 is still alive and kicking, but that does not help with delisted games or multiplayer titles lacking active servers. Who knows what will happen to all the games that the store does close down. Nintendo fans are cruelly finding out with the announced closure of the 3DS and Wii U shops next year. One only hopes that players got plenty of enjoyment out of the games below. Most of them are not only unavailable on the PS3, but they are not available anywhere, to the sorrow of their fans.
12 SOCOM: Confrontation
The first PS3 entry in this once-popular Sony franchise ditched any single-player component in favor of a multiplayer focus. SOCOM: Confrontation was met with a mixed reception, and its launch was not helped by the reported technical issues and the scant number of maps that the game offered.
Official servers were shut down in 2014. At least the sequel, SOCOM 4, has a single-player campaign. There is a small workaround for SOCOM: Confrontation, though, since fans recently launched private servers for the PS3 exclusive tactical shooter.
11 Noby Noby Boy
Noby Noby Boy had a unique idea that brought every player together to complete a goal. They had to help the protagonist stretch across all the planets in the solar system and reach earth. The goal was finally reached years after release, prompting a note from the creator to show up.
The game was delisted from the PS Store in 2018, making it impossible to play for anyone who had not already bought it. Noby Noby Boy was designed by Keita Takahashi, who is known for atypical gaming ideas such as Katamari Damacy.
10 Most Telltale Games
Telltale Games is known for utilizing popular licenses to create adventure games. Unfortunately, the first incarnation of the studio closed down in 2018. Shortly afterward, many of the licenses lapsed and most of the games were pulled from digital storefronts.
Some titles have physical releases that at least give people a chance to play them, but a couple never received such a luxury. Poker Night 2, for example, never received a physical PS3 release, nor was it ported to the PS4.
9 MAG
MAG stands for Massive Action Game. At its largest, the game allowed for 256 players to battle it out on a single map. It all worked, and the game definitely had its fans, but it apparently was not enough to sustain the title for long.
MAG launched in 2010 and shut down only four years later in 2014. The PS4 was out by this point, but the PS3 was still in use by many, so it seems like the game was shut down prematurely. Sony seems to have a renewed interest in multiplayer and live service games, evidenced by their purchase of Bungie, so maybe fans will receive a spiritual sequel to MAG in the future.
8 Metal Gear Online
Metal Gear Solid has always been about the story, but Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence introduced an online competitive mode. This was expanded upon for the PS3 with Metal Gear Online, which came with Metal Gear Solid 4, but was also sold separately in certain territories.
These servers only lasted from 2008 to 2012. Fortunately, fans can still play Metal Gear Solid competitively through Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Metal Gear Solid 4 at least has a physical release and does not require an online connection to play, but its exclusivity on PS3 makes it progressively harder to play as the years go by.
7 Grand Theft Auto Online
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Grand Theft Auto V's online component has become a major beast within the gaming industry. It didn't start off that way, however. Grand Theft Auto Online was rough in its early days. Players had trouble connecting and joining games, and it was filled with bugs.
GTA Online eventually made its way to PS4 and Xbox One, where new improvements and updates made it a fun and engaging way to pass the time with friends. GTA Online for the PS3 went offline on December 21st, 2021. PS3 owners can still enjoy the fantastic single-player campaign for as long as the system and copies of the game exist, however.
6 Dynasty Warriors Online
Dynasty Warriors has been chugging along since the debut entry on the PS1. The second game turned it into the series fans know and love today. It received an MMO for computers and consoles in 2010.
Unfortunately for anybody in the west interested in this game, the servers in North America have been down since 2015. At least there are no shortages of other Dynasty Warriors games to play. Additionally, developer Omega Force has made spin-offs of other franchises in the same style, most notably Hyrule Warriors.
5 PlayStation Home
Maybe it is not right to call PlayStation Home a game, but it was a service PS3 owners could use to walk around and interact with a virtual world. However, that's not the case anymore.
The service launched in 2008 and closed down in 2015. It was not the most warmly received application, but it definitely had a wealth of features. Plenty of developers made content for the service and there were often big tie-in events with upcoming PlayStation 3 games.
4 Dust 514
Dust 514 was a pretty ambitious idea. The first-person multiplayer shooter took place in the EVE Online universe and events in one would affect the other. It was also free for PS3 owners. Early impressions from the beta were promising, but the final release received mixed reviews.
It came out in May 2013, several months before the PS4's release, and the servers shut down in 2016. A PS4 version never came out, which could be one reason for its demise. Why play an online PS3 shooter when the PS4 is pumping out games at a rapid pace?
3 Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game
This beat 'em up is based on the cult classic movie Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. It was well received, and the graphics are in the style of the original graphic novel series.
The game came out in 2010 and was delisted just four years later, making it impossible to play unless players already bought the game. Fortunately, the retro-influenced cooperative fighter was re-released in 2021 for modern consoles. It was appropriate because the film recently had its tenth anniversary.