What Do I need to start playing multiplayer in the PS3?

[Scifo]

When you boot up your PS3 it will have you make a PlayStation Network account. That's about all you need to play online. I'd recommend getting PS Plus though, Metro Last Light, BioShock Infinite, Remember me and I think Borderlands 2 are still free right now but won't be for long. In March we get Tomb Raider 2013 and a few others. It's $50 a year and is honestly much better than Xbox Live Gold. It's not required to play PS3 online though, however it is on PS4.

You get one charging cable with the purchase of a console. Oddly enough, you don't get additional cables when buying a new controller, but the cable is a simple USB to mini-USB cable so you can buy them pretty cheap. I'd recommend buying a charging station though. DualShock 3s last around 10 hours per charge, and take 1-3 hours to charge.