The PlayStation 3 doesn’t even remotely have the reputation for hardware malfunctions that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 does. Still, Sony today announced an extended service plan for the PS3, as well as the PSP, one in which gamers can lengthen the manufacturers’ warranty for up to three years after purchase of a system. The PlayStation Protection Plan, as Sony has officially dubbed it, will be available beginning this month.

Those wishing to extend the PS3’s manufacturers’ warranty by an additional 365 days can do so for $44.99, while a two-year add-on can be purchased for $59.99. Both protection extensions go into effect after the free one-year warranty expires, and they cover the same types of damage, including shipping and repair charges.

Retailers now have a bit of competition.
PSP owners can amp up their coverage for an additional year for $29.99 or $39.99 for two years. Handheld gamers can also opt in to the Accidental Damage Plan, which extends the coverage to include cracked screens, for an additional $10.

The new extended warranty is available to all new purchasers, as well as those who are still covered by the one-year manufacturers’ warranty. Full terms and conditions of the plan are available through Sony’s Web site.
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John Koller, Director of Hardware Marketing for Sony, has a difficult job. Every time a competitor releases a wicked-cool piece of technology, Koller has to go on record about what his company plans to do to respond to this new product. Whether it is the Zune HD, Nintendo DSi, or the shiny new Apple iPad, Koller is the first person journalists turn to in order to gauge Sony’s response. Unfortunately, Koller has apparently run out of smart things to say, because his latest comment about Apple’s new touch-screen tablet device is downright retarded. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Koller suggested that the success of the iPad will actually help Sony sell more PSPs, because apparently what consumers are going to want after they grow bored of their $500 tablet device, is a last-generation plastic handheld game machine.

Look, we love the PSP, but to suggest that it is a step up above the iPad in terms of functionality is a bit of a stretch. No, it borders on complete retardation. Let’s take a listen, shall we?

“Apple’s entrance into the portable gaming space has been a net positive for Sony” he told the Wall Street Journal, “when people want a deeper, richer console, they start playing on a PSP.” As Apple is quick to promote, the iPad will run almost 140,000 applications from the iTunes App Store at launch, the majority of which are games.

Now, the Sony PSP is a solid gaming machine, there is no doubt about that. But there is practically no connection between what Sony offers and what consumers are looking for in the Apple iPad. Perhaps a smarter thing for Koller to say would be that there are very few similarities between the two devices to begin with.

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