UPDATE 3: So the timer ended, and a live action trailer for an independent Modern Warfare film has been released. You can watch the surprisingly high-quality clip below:

UPDATE 2: Some new details about what this countdown is actually about have started coming in. Turns out that independent creative collective We Can Pretend is behind this stunt, and they're working on a project inspired by Call of Duty that is coming out on March 2nd. We don't know anything more than that about the project, other than the fact that they know how to get the attention of gaming sites.

UPDATE: Don't get too excited about a Modern Warfare 3 announcement early next week. It sounds like the whole thing was a hoax. Joystiq recently heard back from an Activision representative who said, "There seems to be a great deal of speculation about the next Call of Duty project. Let me be clear that we are not revealing yet. Anything indicating otherwise is a hoax." GTTV Host Geoff Keighley also heard from an Activision spokesperson and posted a similar statement on his twitter account. Don’t worry, we’re sure Activision has Modern Warfare 3 in the works (and maybe Modern Warfare 4), but we’ll have to wait a bit longer for an official announcement.

ORIGINAL STORY: Out of all the confusing crap that happens in Modern Warfare 2's story, there's one thing we know for sure - that Makarov guy is a jerk. Remember? He's that dude that shoots you from the ambulance at the end of that mission that turned you into a terrorist or something. Anyway, it looks like he's the focus in the first apparent PR push for the next Call of Duty.

If you head over to findmakarov.com, you'll find a countdown clock in the same green font that was heavily featured in Modern Warfare 2's marketing. From the looks of it, we'll be getting some big news in the middle of next week. Keep an eye on our site for any further updates.