The Playing Fields closes its doors
Another victim of the technology downturn
One of our oldest supporters, The Playing Fields Internet and gaming café in London, has closed its doors today after nearly five years of operation. According to former head honcho Edward Watson, The Playing Fields has been placed in the hands of liquidators and will cease to exist on the 29th of January. Offering apologies to customers, members and friends, Watson explained in a newsletter today that the company has finally run out of money, and can no longer carry on. The Playing Fields is best known for its role as host to product launches and professional gaming tournaments when they come to Europe. In that capacity, the familiar doorway located a block away from Warren Street Tube Station will be missed by many, and by the countless others that filled the building's interiors during hardcore LAN gaming sessions of Counter-Strike and Quake III Arena throughout its lifetime. Although the company's online forums are presumably not long for this world, tributes are flooding in, appearing in a special thread dedicated to the subject. Amongst the concerned, former members of Wireplay and BarrysWorld, who have also suffered at the hands of the technology downturn. We wish Edward and Charles, TPF's proprietors, the best of luck in whatever they do next. Ever-enthusiastic, former EuroGamer staff writer Geoff Richards put it best on the TPF forums. "They weren't the first, but they were the first to do it RIGHT!" So long TPF, may there be others like you.
