Sony sells Metreon to mall developer and real estate co.
by Dan Choi 
{ Feb 28th 2006 at 6:33AM }
Sony has sold the Metreon in San Francisco to shopping mall developer the Westfield Group and real estate company Forest City Enterprises.
The Sony Style Store and the PlayStation store will continue on as tenants in the 300,000-square-foot restaurant-theater complex, but the fate of the Walk of Game in the transaction has not yet been confirmed.
Despite the closing of several major exhibits and tenants (including an anchor Microsoft store in 2001), a Sony spokeswoman "said the company pulled out as Metreon's original owner upon reviewing its corporate strategy and deciding to focus it on electronics, entertainment and games." While the Metreon attracted an average 6 million visitors a year, SFGate.com attributed the pullback to the wrong demographic frequenting the building: teenagers flocked to the 15-screen theater and "pinball arcade," while affluent museum-goers were intimidated by the young'uns and stayed away. Arcades and multiplexes do go together....
[Via GameSpot]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Big piZZa @ Feb 28th 2006 6:51AM
I think that e-shops are more profitable for such a business as Sony has and it requires less money to be maintained. Let's see will it be a success or not. Time will show.
Matt @ Feb 28th 2006 8:18AM
So what will happen for the Walk of Game?
Sloopydrew @ Feb 28th 2006 8:42AM
And I was so looking forward to Grand Theft Auto Metreon.
T-Rock @ Feb 28th 2006 12:00PM
i was there two years ago and the place was empty
its a beautiful structure and i thought to myself then that they must be taking a bath
Brody Brooks @ Feb 28th 2006 3:59PM
The Walk of Game is supposed to be the beginnings of an important landmark for the games industry. If they got rid of that, it would be a sad day for those who were looking forward to seeing all the industry greats being immortalized not only by their games, but by an industry-recognized landmark.
Nymo @ Feb 28th 2006 8:12PM
I Remember Reading The Other Article Couple Days Ago (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/02/24/BUGSVHDITS1.DTL), And I'm Sad..
Trevor Bryant, Former Sony Senior Vice Pres Who Was The Creative Director Of Metreon Wanted It To Be An 'Urban Entertainment Destination'.. I Understood, Nobody Else Did.. It Was A 'Mall' To People..
It Didn't Attract The Upper Families They Aimed For, They Were All Turned Off By The Pay-To-Go Attractions Like 'The Way Things Work' 3D Movie And The 'Where The Wild Things Are' Playground.. Nearly Everything But The Theaters And The Sony Style And Playstation Store Drastically Changed.. The Kiosks On The The 1st Floor Never Been Starbucks Or Just Desserts, Discovery Store Became A Big Blank Area That Was Used For Seasonal Stores Or Events, The 'Way Things Work' Theater And Store Changed It's Exit To An Entrance, The Store Into 2 Stores, The Theater Into 'Action Theater' (barely used), Microsoft Shop Now A Specialty Electronics And Goods Shop, Now With A Confrence Room (also barely used), The 'Airtight Garage' Base Of Mobius' Art With Special Arcade Games And A Mini-Motion Simulator Game Turned Into 'Portal One', Now With More Cheeky Arcade Games You See Everywhere Else And The Motion Game Now Gone (made into retro arcade, retro arcade moved, now a 'rentable' space like the rest of metreon, which is empty as well), Mobius' Art Now Forgotten.. And The Great 'Wild Things' Area, Now Gutted And Empty, Unknown What To Do With..
Loew's Theater (the only thing making money there, which sony does not get anything from them) Suggested They Make More Theaters Up There, It Was Declined Becaues That's Not What They Wanted Metreon To Be..
I Just Hope Westfield Has Something Planned With Metreon.. They Say They Have Something Different Planned For It, Not Entirely A Mall, And Boy, Do I Hope They Try To Do..