Yesterday we had it confirmed that Shogun 2: Total War is to come out next year. Today we have the first trailer. Where “trailer” means, “a man sticking a knife in a map.” So there’s some analysis of what this could mean below. There’s also some rather lovely promotional art stuff that you can enjoy.

Before we dissect this, it’s worth watching the trailer in full. So here you go:

What are the implications of these details released by Sega and Creative Assembly? I’d argue they are three-fold.

1) A Man: A man is very likely to appear as a character within the game. Perhaps this man, seemingly of Japanese origins, may be a character against whom you fight. Or perhaps he could be the man you fight as. Maybe he offers advice to you as you play? Or perhaps he is simply a beard to aim for.

2) A Map: Maps have formed an essential part of strategy gaming for years, so perhaps this simple hand-drawn map is an indication from CA that they do not intend to deviate from this in their new game. While we cannot infer there definitely will be a map in the game, I’m willing to predict that map fans won’t be disappointed.

3) A Knife: Knives wielded by men have often been used throughout cultural history to denote the penis. Here we see an angry man waving his knife/penis in his hand, then stabbing it into the map. It is reasonable to infer that this represents the man’s desire to “fuck” the map. In representing sex in this violent fashion, where the map/vagina is penetrated by the knife/penis, we are made aware that this man intends to impose his will upon the lands represented in the map. In this sense he is aiming to “conquer” them.

In conclusion, the angry man wants to have sex with a map. Shogun 2: Total War comes out in 2011.























