Sony launches official 'Protection Plan' for PS3 and PSP

AppleCare for iPhones still doesn't cover discommode brought on by your commode.

Costco has the best warranty ever for PS3s!

Yeah doesn't Costco give two years for free?

I used to work at Radio Shack, and they pushed us HARD to sell those extended warranties. Its called an intangible asset sale. And guess what: you don't push products that lose you money.

If sony charges $60 for an extra 2 years on your warranty, chances are slim your system will break within 3 years. For those who've had failures, sorry (I've had like 4 RRoDs on my 360, so I feel your pain). But try to keep in mind that you're probably the vocal minority.

Does applecare do anything for software issues?

@ Chris - Yes, Applecare covers software issues (had to get 3 2G iPhones replaced due to software). Pretty much everything but accidental damage.

So you guys finally started offering accidental damage protection?

Or this is like SonyCare, which is available in Canada and is actually a couple bucks cheaper and can go up to a 4-year extension.

I can tell you I've had my fair share of faulty electronics equipment. Half the time it'll happen the first year, but the ones that miss the free year warranty now become few and far between. If I actually did get warranty for my xbox, ps3, tv, ipods, laptop, camera, phone, all on top of my car insurance, I don't think in the end it will be worth it.

flying hawaiian, the problem probably isn't your electronics but something about how you use them.

Especially with things like PS3s with extremely low failure rates: the tiny percentage that do have problems often caused the problems. Rough handling, smoking, hot homes, filth, bad wiring... something probably causes them to break a lot of their stuff.

I've never had a problem with a piece of consumer electronics, though. For you, I think the warranties are a great idea. For me, they aren't. Not trying to bash you, but some people don't realize they are the common denominator.

agree, my 60gb died after 2.5 years

My launch died last week =[ now I'm debating how long I can last without it monies be tight

a LOT of older PS3's are biting the dust...I just threw mine in the bedroom and only use it for Netflix and Blu-ray movies....

I was fortunate enough to get a Slim before my Phat died on me.....sucked ass when I couldn't play for a month while waiting on my fan back last Novemeber

a LOT of older PS3's are biting the dust...I just threw mine in the bedroom and only use it for Netflix and Blu-ray movies....

I was fortunate enough to get a Slim before my Phat died on me.....sucked ass when I couldn't play for a month while waiting on my fan back last November

I had a 40gb PS3 since January 2008 and it died a in March (wouldn't read the disc). I tried to get it fixed but they wanted to charge me the $150. Ended up trading it in for about $120 at gamestop (thanks to a promo that added $50 extra). Funny thing is is that my PS1 had the same error and I had to replace FIVE PS2 due to the same error. I have about had it with Sony and their crappy system. I have had both XBox system and neither one has failed me.

What are you going to say now El Serpiente about PS3s never failing? Huh?

he didn't really say that did he? please tell me you are kidding....

That is pretty much how he feels. He is simply put, a "Sony Sprinkles".

Hey Chris:
So did your MGS4 B/C PS3 kick the bucket? Mine's making some strange drive noises... its making me nervous it'll be dead soon. I'd happily pay $150 to get it fixed though. I've sure spent enough time with it to warrant that.

that would be a bit Harsh....I mean has he ever came out and said "You can't possibly be married because as a Gay man I don't find you attractive and thereby no woman would either, and the only way you would have a child is if you raped the woman at gunpoint and continued to hold a gun to her head for the next 9 months so that she doesn't abort it"

Sprinkles said something of that affect to me a while back....I dont think El Serpiente is THAT bad.....I mean even I(one who love his PlayStation) would never say that PS3's never fail....even BEFORE tons of people I know started having issues with the Launch 60GB models

@Chris...the Fan died, and I had a few issues where it would overheat and shutdown even AFTER replacing the fan....but its still working....I just use it from movies now...no games

@nerdydesi:

Yeah, but call him out on it and you get banned.

@Desi

Everything thats an electronic fails. But, to make it out like its some massive wide scale defect is retarded. Besides, you bought a used PS3 with no assurance fo quality! For all you know that one could have been dropped or gotten a YLOD with an improper repair. I just fixed my 60 GB PS3's YLOD a few months ago =) Some of the earlier models weren't as efficient as the new Slim and were more proned to failure, even then it's around what 1-3% of total consoles? Thats acceptable for hardware failure. Don't mistake acceptable failure rates with functional obsolescences. Anything with moving components that generates a substantial amount of heat and is operated under varying conditions is going to have some kind of a failure rate. It's not like the 360 where it would just literally burn out one right after another.

I just took my PS3 apart, reflowed the cpu and gpu, applied new thermal compound and put to back together. I don't expect everyone to do that but I was on a mission not to lose my HDD data. I'm surprised more people don't even attempt to fix it themselves. It's really not very hard to fix a YLOD and from what I've heard it's the same fix 90% of the time for a RROD. If you get a YLOD odds are it's either a reflow (80%), bad power supply (15%) or something else that you probably can't fix (5%). I was off on that weekend and I said screw it ... I'm going to try and fix it. I had helped a friend fix his YLOD the same way earlier in the year.

Maybe it is a widespread issue but from what I've seen in person, read online and heard about it's not anywhere near as big an issue as you are making it out to be. It happens, thats true but to sit here and act like a few percentile within the industry accepted margin for error is evidence of some grand conspiracy or massive failure rate makes you look like a fool.

Is that what happened to you Sailor John? Banned and back with avengence?

Nope, just less inflammatory... Same irritation of the blind fanboyism. BTW was Heavy rain everything you were hoping? I never got it due to about 5 others I wanted to play dropping about the same time.

My PS3 died almost exactly two years after I got it. The disc tray doesn't work at all. I think it might have been a new firmware update.

I remember reading somewhere that a more recent firmware update made the disc reader spin faster, or something to that effect, to make load times shorter. And that would be fine for Slims, which are cooler and can handle it, but could be fatal to the older, more power-consuming, models.

@dumb Chris

Nowhere in that statement does he (Nash) have "... Essentially you don't need it", yet you felt the need to include it in the original quote. You're a joke.

If you're gonna keep crying, go to a 360.

That is exactly why they are bringing this out now the old models do not qualify for this since this covers only models bought within the last year aka no faulty made 60gbs mostly new improved slims.

@sncrjames dude.....are you new here?

at any rate I copied and pasted that from the post on here....I didn't add anything....

recognize who you are speaking to.....

Sorry but El Serpiente is actually funny, most of his comments are satirical.

My Launch PS3 also died slightly over 3 years , so even it had been a 360 I would have had to pay for repairs.

I did the same as Tigre, first couple of times it didnt work long but then I fluxed and reflowed, its all working pretty stable now. fluxing with a no-clean flux is the key, if it doesnt work after a reflow , it helps the solder.

If you look through the ps3 faults, Chris. D had a fan failing, some one else had disk drive issues and then there is the ylod issues.. It doesnt all fall under ylod..

Fan failing is pretty rare, if you actually open up the ps3 and look at the heatsink / fan its a beast its probably one of the best designed heatsinks I have seen. If they had used copper contact core it would have been better, but then looking at the over all design, you can tell they designed it to last, The 360 heatsink is just crap, its 1 one of the cheapest I have ever seen.

Im not excusing the fact that my console died after 3 years.. I could boot my gamecube out of the window and plug it back in and it would still work, my N64 still works I have given it to some one else now though.. I wouldnt however call the failure rate anything near or like the 360 failure rate.. The failure rate is pretty low and its really only affected the launch ps3s..

After the launch of the 40nm GPU and the 45nm Cell, this scheme is just a money spinner.. Only thing to worry about is the bluray drive not working and as long as you wipe your disk down and clean it before inserting in drive I dont think it will ever be an issue.

On a side note Sony already had a service called continousplay for the ps3/psp:

http://www.continuousplay.co.uk/
£4.99 a month

http://community.eu.playstation.com/t5/PlayStation-3-General-Discussion/Continuous-Play-FAQ/td-p/6970683;jsessionid=5A0BD55C71EF7CBFC1926901D89AF1C8

It was actually a good idea if you didnt mind paying 5 a month, but then it was open to abuse because there was no contract length..

I am perfectly over my PS3. I am upset that Sony still will not repair new PS3s which fail after the 1 year warranty, for a problem that will most likely occur after said warranty. The YLOD and related issues are something which are Sony's fault and which they need to fix! When you bought your $600 PS3, were you told that eventually, 2-3 years later, you'll need to pony up another $150 to fix it and then maybe even receive an inferior model?

I'm afraid all we can agree on is to disagree, El Serpiente.

Many retailers sell their own plans anyway.

they did have this. i bought my 120gb slim from sony last fall for $350 and it included a 3 year extended warranty and vertical stand

well they need to do a better job of putting the info out there because I'm a very informed consumer, I always do a ton of research before I make a purchase and there wasn't one when I bought mine. Of course I bought my 60GB in May of 07 so maybe it didn't exist back then since the PS3 hadn't even been out a year yet.

They may be huge, but Sony has (and for the most part still is) on financially shaky grounds. For the past decade, Sony has had major problems with cash flow and has hemorrhaged cash for most of those 10 years. And last year, Sony took a full-on loss on top of that. The biggest issue facing Sony right now is the fact that their current liabilities are $2.1 billion greater than their current assets. In layman's terms, your credit card bill is due and even if you count up the pennies in the couch and cash in your 401k, you're still short $1,000.

Honestly, this entire protection plan is a move to shore up some extra revenues where they can. Looking at GameStop as an example, protection plans are highly lucrative because, as Mr. Nash has pointed out, few people actually use them. It's free money for the most part.

Sony is hobbling right now. The only thing truly saving the company is that Sony is a Japanese institution, almost part of their culture, and their government-run banks will not let the company fail.

THANK YOU Laughing Target

for calling it out for what it is: Sony's equivalent of the HMV/GameStop/EB "would you like to add damage protection plan to your disc for $3" deal

Good news: Extra protection
Bad news: Extra cost

With the disc protection programs, though, often times you never end up needing the service, but in the ps3's case since many more of them seem to be dying of hardware failure as the months roll on, it might actually be a good idea. Here's hoping it doesnt backfire on Sony and lose them cash on repairs.

I don't see any problem with this however, I do think that they should have given a free 3 year on the 60 GB YLOD since it is pretty widespread. As far as them having money issues, that would be all the more reason for them to have sold these plans from the start even if it was a limited warrenty so they don't lose a lot on repair costs, they could have made a lot of extra money from the people that would never need/use these plans.

You might want to start with a sundae with extra sprinkles and work your way up.

My fatty60gig is still working just fine, take keyboard cleaner to it once a week.

Now you're just making me hungry.

because it isn't such a bad of a problem that needs a free warranty, this is a pretty cheap alternative to store warranty plans, those plans best buy has for laptops of TVs can be A LOT more than what Sony is asking, I personally wouldn't get it but there are a lotta people who are cautious and this is a nice option for those people

they already extended the waranty for the older models

I really wish they would, my phat just died almost exactly 2 years after purchase.

Worse still? I only use my ps3 for movies/bluray, and a majority of THAT time was spent streaming movies, not even running a disc.

Call me a fanboy or whatever, but it's inexcusable that my ps3 should die after such little use but my 360 which is used FAR more, hasn't yet died.