Millions of gamers could soon lose access to popular PlayStation game in just a few weeks
Once games went digital and introduced online multiplayer it was only inevitable that issues would arise down the line, and one fan favorite title has left many frustrated after its developer reveals that players will soon lose access.
The only thing keeping some of the most popular games out there running are official servers, and we've seen countless horror stories over the years where titles become unplayable after losing support from their respective developers.
In the past year alone we've seen this happen to several games within weeks of their release, as both Concord and the recently-launched Highguard were both shut down following a lack of players, leaving the few that did buy the game without any means to access their purchase.
This tends to happen years down the line in usual circumstances, however, although that doesn't make it any less painful for people still enjoying the title before it's eventually shut down.
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As shared by the Sun, the latest game to be affected by the closure of online services is Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare, with developer Electronic Arts (EA) shutting down the PlayStation 3 servers next month.
Most people have moved on to newer consoles since the seventh generation, but there are still a surprising number of players enjoying content on their PS3.
It's clearly not enough for EA to justify keeping the servers open though, as while PvZ Garden Warfare was an incredibly popular release when it launched back in 2014, it has since received a sequel and has understandably lost a significant portion of its player base over the last 12 years.
It's expected that the PS3 won't be alone when it comes to this issue either, as many speculate that the Xbox 360 will be joined by the PS4, Xbox One, and PC in experiencing server closures for the game, leaving fans with no way to play it whatsoever.
This is rightfully seen by some as a crisis for game preservation, as regardless of its age or the existence of any sequels, it's important to ensure that every game is kept playable in some form throughout history — although this is becoming an increasingly difficult feat in a digital-dominant marketplace.
It's also not the only frustration that PlayStation 3 owners have had to face this week either, as the console just lost support for a major streaming app that also played a key role in the preservation of films and TV shows on the service.