Second Galaxy is as About as Promising as the Name.

Alexandra Fisher does not own any rights to Zilong Game Limited Artwork

It’s been a few days since the official release of the anticipated game, “Second Galaxy” by Zilong Game Limited and the announcement of alpha tests for EvE Echoes by CCP Games (as well as NetEase). And while Zilong Games appears to have "won the race" to release their game to the app store first; many gamers are wondering if Second Galaxy is really worth all the hype.

So far, the reviews and feedback have been mixed across the board. With distinctly different rankings across devices, it holds a whopping 3 stars thus far on Steam, 4.4 on Google Play and 4.7 on the App Store. Being both criticized and glorified as a clear “rip-off of EvE”, my question to many players would be this:

Is this game development company going to put profit or players first?

Before you invest your time, passion and money into a mobile game where you will likely build a community together and create team strategy, it's important to have realistic expectations about what type of customer support you’re likely to receive. After doing a little investigative research into “Zilong Games Limited” and gathering feedback from experienced gamers who can spot early warning signs of Pay to Win mechanics, there doesn’t hold much promise for Second Galaxies future.

The moment an individual signs into Second Galaxy, you are immediately “greeted” with an advertisement for an in-game purchase, followed by a laborious tutorial. 

On Steam, Second Galaxy is described as an “open-world sci-fi game that combines RPG and SLG elements. You can navigate hundreds of different space ships, team up with players to form alliances, and engage in intergalactic battles with other players around the world”. The game has an in-game currency called “Iridium” which can be purchased individually or through monthly plans, packs, and bundles. 

I did wonder if anyone else giggled when they see the Ace Badge Bundle listed for “40% off”. What does “40% off” mean exactly? Was this bundle ever priced and sold higher than its current cost? And is the cost of this specific bundle going to go back up 40%? I’ll be sure to alert the team to buy in while they can…I sure hope Zilong Games isn’t pulling a “JC Penny” on us. 

So we’re clear here, the United States holds pretty strict consumer protection laws, including one that says any "former" price advertised on an item has to have been its "prevailing market price" in the previous 90 days. That’s strange considering there were no purchasable packs, items, bundles or plans in the beta test for Second Galaxy and its only been out a few days… *raises brow*

Seasoned gamers have already begun to spot the pay to win mechanics which are disguised early in the game.

While big spenders might blow tons of cash right from the start – Second Galaxy does place a cap on experience players can obtain per day. One player (James Sheward - a seasoned gamer who has been playing this genre of game for over 20 years) from Second Galaxies Facebook group pointed out that “as the levels unlock tech 2 research with more resistances the p2w will start to impact everyone much more heavily…”.

2 other members responded in the thread with a similar concern for how these payments would affect the end game. Mike T Greiner “I really don't know all the factors there. In my limited experience so far, I haven’t seen much p2w that gives that much of an advantage...but...as you say....if that DOES affect "end game" so to speak content, then that is a problem indeed.” Spæçēk Rēbēłs mentioned “…what’s even crazier here is that you can actually lose the ship and everything on it regardless if you paid for that ship or grind for it. I started buying few to see if it made difference and yea it’s pretty ridiculous.” He explained that the more purchases he made in Second Galaxy, “more and bigger advertisements keep popping up…”.

“They should have named the game microtransactions…” - Zachary Lee Richard Olson

And for anyone who understands how these types of games work, where conquering land and stations are the goal, then simply capping big spenders early on, who will later boost exponentially faster is a large concern and it's going to take a little longer for players to determine how truly pay to win the game might be. Many players made comments regarding the fact that gaming companies need to make a profit somehow. But let’s remember 2 key components. One, pay to win is NOT the same as pay to progress. And two, there are VERY little regulations on in-game purchases that might affect the end game (rendering your initial purchases useless).

Luckily, there are other gaming companies that have been trailblazers as industry experts for placing the true authentic gaming experience first while still being able to monetize their game.

Creating quality games that consider players before profit should be a marathon, not a sprint.

Gaming companies that sprint to finish their games are often riddled with bugs, lack customer support and fail to retain their audience in the long term. By the time NetEase releases EvE Echoes with its full launch, my guess is that Second Galaxy will hold true to its name and place in second in the marathon of player retention.

Curious on my feedback on Zilong Games Limited? Stay tuned...

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