First, this game returns the Call of Duty franchise back to WWII. How hard was it to create such a game that didn't seem to be a repeat of the first three games in the series?

New enemies, new locations and new tactics – we take players to the Pacific theater, a story that had never been told before, at least not in the Call of Duty way. We learned early on the Japanese tactics were unlike anything we had ever faced before. It only seemed natural if we were going to throw you into a new conflict with Imperial Japan, we'd re-write the Artificial Intelligence from the ground-up to accommodate the use of a new enemy. So, the guerrilla tactics: hiding in bushes, waiting in trees, feigning death, booby traps – these are all ambush scenarios you'll encounter repeatedly through the Pacific campaign of our game. Ultimately, it will influence the way you traverse the terrain throughout the rest of the game.

Part of the game takes place in the Pacific theater. How much research was done to make sure this part of the war was depicted with at least some accuracy?

Loads of research went into the recreation of the conflicts present in both campaigns. Additionally, our military advisor Hank Keirsey has been integral in this process. He found veterans who served in these conflicts, and interviewed them for historical accuracy. He helps to paint a very vivid picture in the minds of our designers from what the battlefield looked like, to what it felt like, and even what it smelled like.

Our teams also do their fair share of research. We're always aiming for the highest level of authenticity possible. We want to put you as close to these conflicts as you'd ever want to be, without putting yourself in harms way, of course.

One very new tactic we learned which was used in WWII was called "Blowtorch and Corkscrew." It was used in the Pacific against the Japanese... It involves a Flamethrower (your Blowtorch) and a satchel charge (your Corkscrew). The Japanese would have these extensive bunker and tunneling systems, which you'd have to use your Flamethrower to advance and burn out. You'd then toss a satchel charge inside the bunker to collapse the structure so it couldn't be used against your reinforcing troops. It was these tactics that really influenced the introduction of the Flamethrower into CoD:WW.