Sony sells the Metreon

Sony's Metreon has been something of a gaming Mecca for the PlayStation faithful since its opening in June of 1999. The shopping and entertainment complex in downtown San Francisco currently hosts an IMAX-equipped movie theater megaplex, an arcade, a variety of restaurants, the Walk of Game, and, most notably, the official PlayStation store, home to the West Coast launch parties for the PlayStation 2 and PSP.

Some of those tenants might soon change. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Sony is selling the Metreon complex to shopping mall developer The Westfield Group and the Forest City Enterprises real estate company for an undisclosed sum of money.

A Sony spokesperson told The Chronicle that the company's decision to sell the 300,000-square-foot facility was based on a review of its corporate strategy and a decision to focus on electronics, entertainment, and games rather than a lack of success on the part of the Metreon. However, she said that Sony will continue to operate the mall's PlayStation store.

Originally planned to be a combination of techno-centric family-friendly attractions and a shopping mall, the Metreon has faced a number of setbacks on both fronts, including the closing of the Microsoft and Discovery Channel stores, as well as exhibits based on The Way Things Work and Where the Wild Things Are.

The latest batch of inductees to the Walk of Game (a diverse group including Lara Croft, Final Fantasy, and Sid Meier) are scheduled for induction March 17. As of press time, Walk of Game representatives had not returned GameSpot's request for comment on how the change in ownership will affect the program.