Back in February, Sony announced the closure of its sole US PlayStation Store in San Francisco's Metreon complex. That same month, Microsoft announced it was had hired an ex-Wal-Mart executive to create a chain of retail outlets to rival the dozens of Sony Style stores across the country. Now, the software giant has revealed to GameSpot sister-site CNET that the first of its outlets, which offer Xbox 360 wares, Zunes, and other hardware, software, and devices will soon open.

It may be a Pandora's Box for Microsoft to emulate the sleek, boxy architectural design of a neighboring Apple Store rival.

At the Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans, Microsoft COO Kevin Turner revealed the news. "We're going to have some retail stores opened up that are opened up right next door to Apple stores this fall," he said, before confirming a second wave of openings in 2010.

Turner's revelation appears to confirm its February hire is bearing fruit. The executive in question was David Porter, the former vice president of Wal-Mart's entertainment branch. Porter spent 25 years with the discount store franchise, which had $374.3 billion in net sales for the 2008 fiscal year.

Microsoft has tried over the years to establish itself as a retailer, though none of its efforts match the scale of its current retail outlet plan. The mega-corp shut down its one retail outlet--also at the Metreon--in November 2001, but currently operates an online store.