Sony gets into the warranty game for PS3, PSP

For gamers who worry that their Playstation 3 or PSP consoles aren't built to last, Sony now offers its own protection plan.

Both consoles have always included a one-year warranty, but the new "Playstation Protection Plan" provides up to two more years of coverage. A PS3 warranty costs $50 for one additional year and $60 for two years. The PSP's plan costs $30 for one year and $40 for two years, plus an additional $10 a year if you want coverage for accidental damage.

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Gamestop already offers its own protection plan, at $40 per year for the PS3 and $20 per year for the PSP. However, coverage begins immediately after purchase, which means you're essentially giving up the free year from Sony. Plus, GameStop's PSP coverage doesn't include an option for accidental damage The Sony plan covers drops, but not liquid spills.

However, Gamestop has a couple advantages, as Ars Technica points out: The retailer covers controllers and cables in addition to the console itself, and if something happens to your machine, you can take it in to a store for immediate replacement. Sony may have a hidden advantage of possibly saving your data, but the company's terms and conditions warn that your hard drive could be wiped or reformatted, so no guarantees.

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Standard rant against hardware warranties applies: Sony won't cover accidental damage, environmental damage or acts of God, and because the warranty is only available for up to two years, you're really not covered against wear and tear, either. Basically, these warranties only protect you against faulty hardware, a disconcerting reality in an age of red rings and yellow lights of death. If Sony speaks of the 10-year life cycle for the Playstation 3, it should be willing to stand behind its hardware for more than one tenth of that time.

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