SYDNEY, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Australia's city of Melbourne is hosting what is billed as the largest eSports video gaming festival in Australasia this weekend, marking a major event on the calendar of a pillar industry.
Thousands of digital gamers are expected to be in the state capital of Victoria, with top international teams highlighting two major finals on Saturday and Sunday, according to a statement from the office of the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events.
"The digital games industry is the largest entertainment market on the planet and as the major events capital of Australia, Melbourne is the natural place to host the eSports Open," Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula said.
Digital games form the world's largest entertainment market, worth more than the movie and music industries combined, according to the office. In Australia, the industry generates more than 1.48 billion U.S. dollars in annual income, with last year's inaugural eSports Open attracting more than 12,000 digital games fans worldwide, it said.
Victoria is the digital games and eSports capital of Australia, with 53 percent of the country's digital games companies based in the state, it said.
