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Story by Brenna Hillier

Mon, Mar 19, 2012 | 10:21 GMT

Quad damage: Microsoft recruiting for “AAAA” dev

Either someone in human resources department is out of touch with gaming jargon, or Microsoft is about to try and up ante.

In a new job ad for an executive producer, as spotted by Gamefront, Microsoft uses the term “AAAA” three times – which seems a little overboard for a typo – suggesting the company wants to do one better than the “AAA” which describes top-tier development.

“Microsoft Studios (Xbox) is looking for a dynamic and seasoned Executive Producer to lead and develop a world-class team who will own the creation and delivery of a AAAA experience that delivers on 1st party goals and, more importantly, creates a fun gaming experience for our audience,” according to the ad.

The position is described as having profit and loss responsibility for “a major Xbox AAAA console title” and for delivering “the end-to-end AAAA title experience”.

The new role is located in Redmond, presumably attached to the Microsoft Studios headquarters there; a number of roles opened in this division just over a week ago.

Interestingly, the ad repeatedly mentions Xbox but not Xbox 360; Microsoft is heavily rumoured to have a new Xbox platform in the works.

Microsoft Studios, better known by previous name Microsoft Game Studios, is the platform holder’s games production division, overseeing first and third-party development. 343 Industries, Lionhead and Rare all fall under its banner (as did several other studios like Bungie which have since left the fold), but it also hosts several production groups whose games are released under the umbrella term of Microsoft Studios.