Goodbye Metreon: End of an era for Sony's entertainment center a decade later
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009, nearly 10 years since it's opening, the one and only PlayStation Store in San Francisco closed at the Metreon building.
This is truly an end of an era for Metreon.
June 16, 1999, Sony has officially unveiled a new, multi-million dollar pet project (85 million, to be precise) to San Francisco called the Metreon. Metreon would be a sort of urban entertainment center for the digital age. Part theme park, part shopping and dining experience, and part showcase of technology for Sony.
It was unlike anything anyone has ever experienced before, and yet Sony had plans to do similar projects in other cities.
Ever since it's opening in 1999, I was a big fan of Metreon. Any chace I had to go down there, I did. Be it for the theaters, or to just drop by and experience it. And there was lots to experience at Metreon.
It was almost like Disney had their imagineers working for this place. There were 3 key 'attractions' that Metreon had: A FULL "Where The Wild Things Are" playground area along with an entires shopping and dining experience based around Maurice Sendak's work (wanna dine at "The Night Kitchen?"), a 3D attraction based off the works of David Macaulay's "The Way Things Work" book, and an entire arcade themed after French artist/graphic designer Jean "Moebius" Giraud's graphic novel.
There was also the Sony Theaters with IMAX screen, a unique food court, a Discovery Channel store, one of the only Microsoft stores, and 2 Sony showcase stores: Sony Style and The PlayStation Store.
From 1999 on, Metreon was the destination to visit in Downtown San Francisco for families and people of all ages...
...that is, Before at least 2006
Metreon and Sony in general was clearly having troubles by 2005, which was when some places in Metreon was closing down. By then, Microsoft and Discovery had left the complex, and I believe The Way Things Work attraction also closed by then. By 2006, the biggest attraction by far, being the entire top level of the complex devoted to Maurice Sendak, has also closed.
The problem Metreon was facing was just about the same problem the former F.A.O. Schartz toy store blocks away was experiencing: People came to look and play, but never pay. Metreon was a fantastic tourist spot, and even for the locals too, but considering how everything there was at a premium, it makes sense why there wasn't much money coming into Metreon. All the attractions were at a premium (yes, even the Where the Wild Things Are playground), the stores had default-prices with never any discounts, the food was a little pricey, and even the arcade was a bit pricer for the experience.
It was, in fact, a Disneyland in the term of prices.
however, Unlike Disneyland: You had all these other places down town to go to for alternatives instead of being stuck inside with no other price to compare to.
The only thing that kept making money was the theaters.
And like the F.A.O. store, things had to close.
Sony knew that Metreon was pulling them down, so they did the most logical thing for the company: Sell the complex.
The building fell into the hands of Westfield, who owns a massive amount of malls world wide, and heck: They own the huge re-opened mall across the street.
Even though Sony had nothing to do with the building now, Sony left the Sony Style and PlayStation store there to continue showcasing their technology.
Or so we thought.
Earlier this year, Sony said that they will finally close their stores at the Metreon building. Last month or so, it was the Sony Style store. 2 days ago: PlayStation.
The PlayStation store closing is one that's really near and dear to my heart. That was one location that I always loved to stop by. The store saw the launch of 3 PlayStation systems, as well as numerous game launches and special events. The place was a fantastic destination for PlayStation fans and for those who want to demo the PlayStation offerings.
While all the games were fine, what made the PlayStation store so great was the people.
The guys and girls at PlayStation were a fun bunch. They were extremely helpful and fun to talk to. It was generally agreed that the staff here is better than any you'd find at any other store. If only you can find people like these at your local GameStop or Best Buy.
Over the past 10 years, the store has had several changes, and I was there to experience it all.
Now, the store faces it's biggest change: Being empty.
All I want to say now is to all of those who have worked at the PlayStation Store is, well, thanks for the nearly 10 years of fun and good luck on your future endeavours.
The closing of the PlayStation Store pretty much ends an era for Metreon. Everything that you can find at Metreon today is essentially very different from the original vision back a decade ago:
The Sony Style and PlayStation stores: Empty. The Discovery Channel store: Now an indoor farmers market. The various kiosks in the atrium for Sony/Metron: Now kiosks for unrelated things, books, and deserts. The foodcourt: At least half is newer restaraunts or closed. The Way Things Work: Empty. The Moebius "Airtight Garage" arcade: Now a "TILT" arcade with standard arcade machines instead of new and unique games. The Microsoft store: An extention of TILT with the entire space literally filled with claw machines. The Maurice Sendak roof: Closed, empty, soon to be devoted on ONE SINGULAR RESTAURANT which will not be affordable to everybody...
The only thing that's still there is the theaters, which almost never changed and still brings in the people...
Right now: Westfield is not taking Metreon back to it's original vision of a hi-tech entertainment center for families: Now it's just part tackyness (there's arcade machines and kiddie coin-op rides scattered across the complex) and part premium foodie-paradise, both of which just doesn't mesh and make sense.
Being a big fan of Metreon as it was originally, the Metreon today just makes me sad.
with that said, All I have to say is: Goodbye, Metreon, and thanks for the memories over the past decade.
And screw your, Westfield. Damn your mass-mall-owning corporation to hell.
Posted via web from Nymo's posterous