The ‘deal that shook the industry’ has finally been rubber stamped - and Activision Blizzard has thrown down the gauntlet to the rest of the publishing community by stating that the merger has formed “the world leader in online and console games.”

President and CEO of the new powerhouse publisher Robert Kotick said of the deal: “The completion of this transaction marks the beginning of an important new chapter in the history of interactive entertainment.”

“By combining leaders in mass-market entertainment and subscription-based online games, Activision Blizzard has leading market positions across all categories of the rapidly growing interactive entertainment software industry.”

“With more than 10.7 million subscribers on World of Warcraft, and with tens of millions of people playing Guitar Hero, Activision Blizzard’s games are transcending the traditional stereotypes and are more popular as a form of entertainment than ever before. We look forward to building upon our brands to create value for our shareholders, customers and consumers.”

The “world’s most profitable pure-play online and console game publisher” will now set about making “the best games in the world”, according to Blizzard co-founder and CEO Mike Morhaine.

“From the beginning, our goal has been to make the best games in the world, and this transaction strengthens our ability to do just that,” he said.

“As part of Activision Blizzard we’ll have the reach and resources to share our games with an even wider audience - while maintaining the same approach as always to providing high-quality entertainment and services to our players.”