Multiplay’s M Festival, the UK’s largest electronic games event, took place at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire.

The festival, which moved to the Midlands this year for the first time, attracted more than 2,000 gamers, as well as leading game manufacturers and hardware producers.

The national gaming exhibition showcased some eagerly awaited titles from major developers such as FIFA 2009 and Red Alert 3, as well as seeing Packard Bell and Intel demonstrate their latest specialist gaming hardware.

Perhaps the biggest attraction at the M Festival was the new gaming world champions, Birmingham Salvo, who have only recently arrived back in the UK after their historic win in the world Championship Gaming Series.

After beating the Americans in their own back yard to claim the $500,000 first prize, Birmingham Salvo snatched another victory in the Counter Strike Source, picking up further €6,000 in prize money.

Stars of the team, including Birmingham Salvo, are made up of 10 professional gamers from across the UK including the West Midlands, Watford, Liverpool, Brighton, Plymouth, York, the North East and Manchester.

The youngest member of team, James “wilzOOO” Wilson, aged 18, hails from Rowley Regis, with “Bazza” and “Davey Skills” also from the Midlands.

Michael O’Dell, general manager of the Birmingham Salvo team commented: “There are a lot of top players coming out of the West Midlands, some of the best in the world. Also the developers themselves form the area are producing some really good games and things look good for the West Midlands. This event is key to the growth of the industry in the region.”

The booming sector in the region has spawned an estimated nearly 200 interactive media companies with established Midlands game developers and publishers such as Codemasters, Blitz and Freestyle Games leading the way.