Sony is closing down its one-and-only U.S. PlayStation store at the Metreon mall in San Francisco. The recession is clearly to blame, but it’s happening at time when Microsoft — which opened and shut its own Microsoft store at the Metreon — is going to open a chain of its own stores.
Read the rest of the NY Times article, hit the link. Â NYTIMES
No way I was just there in October, and I was planning on going back during GDC.
damn, Sony has plans!
One important note is that Sony’s Playstation store is devoted entirely to their gaming products, whereas the stores Microsoft is planning to open are much broader-based in terms of content. So frankly, this isn’t really a one-to-one comparison. Sony’s gaming product isn’t a profit source for them right now, and their business is suffering on a number of fronts (not just game consoles), so it makes sense for them to trim costs where able. It is still sad to see though, and a sign of worse things to come.
Well here in Canada, there are Sony Style Stores everywhere. Maybe Sony just don’t feel the love from Americans any longer… LOL!