Footballing titans from Ronaldinho to Wayne Rooney this week battled it out at the foot of Nelson's Column in London's Trafalgar Square. The clashes were masterminded by video-gamers and played out on screens around the square as part of a week-long jamboree celebrating the gaming industry.
But rather than the spotty male youths that might reasonably be expected at such an event, host Electronic Arts, the world's largest games publisher, managed to attract a crowd that spanned everything from families on half-term trips, to young professionals, to gaggles of tourists.
Gaming has shifted into the mainstream as the consoles have become more manageable and the games easier to play, opening up huge opportunities for console makers and games publishers.
What's more, new uses for games consoles, online games and the burgeoning area of in-game advertising, mean that what is estimated as a $30bn (£15bn) market could enjoy fairly explosive growth over the next few years.
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