The Nokia N-Gage will be launched in October

The event has the support of some of the biggest names in interactive entertainment.

It will also offer the first UK showcase for Nokia's new gaming platform, N-Gage.

Visitors will be able to try out the product, which integrates a mobile phone and digital music player with proper games hardware.

The first Edinburgh International Games Festival will run in parallel with the other festivals in the Scottish capital.

Its aim is to increase the awareness of interactive entertainment and highlight the growing bond between video games and other entertainment industries, including music, literature, television and film.

The festival will provide a priceless opportunity to market the industry to leading figures from what is a globally competitive sector Jim McFarlane SEEL

The week-long event will be staged at the Royal Museum from Monday.

Visitors will be able to play a selection of 30 games, as well as trying out the N-Gage - which is not due to be launched until October.

The festival climaxes with a one-day seminar, entitled Game Over Film, which will bring together leading figures from games and movies to discuss how the two industries will be working more closely in future.

A dozen leading Scottish games and animation developers will attend the event.

Jim McFarlane, chief executive of Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian, said: "The digital media sector is strong and growing stronger in Scotland.

"The festival will provide a priceless opportunity to market the industry to leading figures from what is a globally competitive sector.

"It will also demonstrate to some of the world's leading companies just what Scotland has to offer in terms of research, development and support services in the entertainment sector."