We've heard rumblings of Metacritic being used to dole out bonuses or to justify a sequel, but most of the time the review aggregate site isn't used to determine hiring practices. That line has been crossed now, as a new Irrational job listing requires that its applicants have a credit in at least one game with a Metacritic score of 85 or higher.

The job listing for a Design Manager requires more than 6 years in the game industry, experience with three titles, and a strong passion for first-person shooters. The Metacritic point is the last bullet amid an otherwise fairly standard list of requirements. It's unknown if this employee will be working on BioShock Infinite, or some other first-person shooter from Irrational.

Irrational does have a history with high-scoring games, with most of its titles scoring at or above an 85. It makes a certain kind of sense to attach a number requirement to assure studio consistency, but those who lament the pervasiveness of Metacritic might not be pleased if this becomes a trend.