The campaign season is heating up, and by now, you’re probably used to politicians making grand promises that won’t be fulfilled. Across the pond in England, at least one “independent space warrior” is making a push to get Sega fans on his side, as Count Binface’s bid to be elected the new MP of Clacton has seen him call on Sega to reopen its beloved West End Arcade and get Shenmue 4 into production.
“I need to say a galactic hello to Sega, on behalf of the Shenmue fans,” Count Binface said in a new video that was shared by the fansite Shenmue Dojo. “I’ve got a little bone to pick with you, because the fans would like to campaign for an update from you, Sega, about Shenmue 4. They can’t leave you guys on another cliffhanger for years! Yes, I wonder whether Sega needs to be nationalized along with Adele. What do you say? Should we harness the power of the Shenmue to ensure that there is no delay with updates ever again? I’d quite like to reboot Sega World in London’s Trocadero and have old Sonic the Hedgehog back in his prime. Oh, that would be wonderful.”
Count Binface ended the video with a LetsGetShenmue4 hashtag, and as spotted by Metro, this was likely a Cameo video commissioned by Shenmue Dojo to campaign for the game a while back. The intergalactic politician hasn’t shared the video on his social media platforms, but as far back as 2021, when he was running to be the next mayor of London, he did include plans to resurrect the beloved Trocadero arcade in his manifesto, fondly remembered as the SegaWorld arcade that could be found in London’s West End. A fixture since its opening in 1996, it sadly closed down in 2011 as Sega faced a decline in its arcade business.
While Count Binface probably wouldn’t have the power to resurrect that iconic arcade, he probably has earned a few new voters by expressing his passion for gaming, along with other policies revolving around cheap ice cream and nationalizing the singer Adelle. The Count will be facing off against Reform’s controversial leader Nigel Farage–and dozens of other candidates–in the Clacton-on-Sea by-election, which will be held on August 13.
Meanwhile, Shenmue fans recently had the rug pulled out from under them when a fake Shenmue 4 trailer went viral earlier this year. Ys Net, the studio founded by Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki, condemned the trailer and said that it was considering legal action against the creator of the video. While there’s no word yet on Shenmue 4 getting the green light, Virtua Fighter Crossroads and its focus on story-driven action should be a fine substitute.