Players react to GTA Online shutting down for the PS3 and Xbox 360

GTA Online servers have finally shut down for the PS3 and Xbox 360, leaving players to mourn its loss.

When Rockstar first announced a new online mode for the GTA series, console players were very excited. It was first made available on the PS3 and Xbox 360 back in October 2013. By comparison, the PC version didn't exist until two years later. Of course, none of this could truly last forever.

Starting today, GTA Online is no longer available for the PS3 and Xbox 360. The original versions stopped being updated back in 2015. Due to hardware limitations, the game could no longer be updated frequently. Fans of the original GTA Online have reacted to the news with a bit of sadness.

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GTA Online has finally shut down for the PS3 and Xbox 360, as players react to the event

Now is the time to look back at the original GTA Online. It was a completely different experience for those on the PS3 and Xbox 360. Here's a restrospective on what this game means to a lot of players.

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Here are some Twitter reactions to the shutdown

Here is just one example of how many GTA Online players will miss the game, at least on the PS3 and Xbox 360. Some gave it one last shot, while others sadly didn't get a chance:

It may seem rather silly, but GTA Online players put several hours into this game. PS3 and Xbox 360 owners were the first to get their hands on this game. Some of them are really unhappy over the shut down, given their support in the early days:

Today was the last day to play GTA Online for the PS3 and Xbox 360. It's truly a bittersweet experience for these original players.

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All that progress is gone for good

Unfortunately, GTA Online players cannot transfer their accounts elsewhere. Anybody on the PS3 and Xbox 360 will lose all their progress. The above tweet shows the sad reality of online games. No matter how much time is put into it, most of them eventually shut down for good.

Nonetheless, some players decided to go out with a bang. This player got all the necessary achievements before the servers shut down. That's a good way to go out for any GTA Online player.

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It's truly the end of an era

Rockstar felt there was no reason to continue running these servers anymore. GTA Online hasn't been updated for the PS3 and Xbox 360 for several years. As a result, it led to a dwindling population of players. GTA Online would no longer be sustainable on these older platforms.

Nonetheless, GTA Online used to be a much simpler game than it is today. The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions didn't have flying cars or futuristic weapons. Players also didn't have multiple businesses to run. GTA YouTuber Badger Goodger best describes it in the following way:

"It was a relatively strange, almost calm period... It was a very basic version of the game, almost like if GTA 3 was turned into an MMO."

GTA Online for the PS3 and Xbox 360 was a very special game to many players. Those who prefer a more realistic playstyle will certainly miss this game.

Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.