A lot of scrutiny falls on the recruitment processes of companies like Infinity Ward, as it often provides a first look at what they're planning next. By making assumptions based on the job-specs of advertised roles, it can be possible to work out what is going on behind closed doors, and what we can expect from them in the future.
We told you last month that Sledgehammer were recruiting for what may turn out to be Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. This time we look to Infinity Ward and speculate on their recruitment habits.
IGN spotted the advert for a Senior Animator on Infinity Ward's website, and the language used is intriguing: "Infinity Ward, developer of numerous award winning games, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, is seeking a Senior Animator, preferably with experience in game development and an interest in working with next-generation technologies."
Now this could mean several things; Infinity Ward might be trying to establish a new IP; they might be recruiting for Modern Warfare 4; they might be taking on an entirely new strand of the Call of Duty franchise; or, as the advert suggests, they might be taking Call of Duty into the next-generation of consoles.
Given that Modern Warfare 3 was the best selling game of all time, it's a nailed on certainty that a sequel is in the pipeline. Now all that remains to be seen is who is making what, as Infinity Ward, Treyarch and Sledgehammer are all working on different strands of the franchise.