The Interview with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer designer Todd Alderman on Joystiq talks with the Infinity Ward designer about the upcoming military shooter sequel. Along the way they ask him to clear up the back-and-forth over whether this game would carry the Call of Duty title, and he does anything but:

Well there are a lot of different factors involved, but we wanted to make sure, and I tried to state this at the beginning, that this is a different game. I mean it is not ... it has got 2 on it obviously, but it is not just a sequel. It is not just another Call of Duty game. It is a big new thing and we want people to associate it with Modern Warfare 2. And it is the same story, so it is in the Call of Duty universe.

So messaging it both ways, I think it's helpful. People that are in the know, know what Modern Warfare 2 is. People that know what Call of Duty is might not necessarily get it in a way, but establishing that identity and making sure that this is Modern Warfare 2. It is not just Call of Duty blah, blah, blah. It is Modern Warfare 2. And then having the Call of Duty ... we are not denying it is Call of Duty.

But it seems like Infinity Ward would like to call it Modern Warfare 2.

We do call it Modern Warfare 2. It is still Call of Duty. But to us, that is how we refer to it. That is how we talk about it.