Steamfailed to notify 130,000 wishlisting users about the unsuccessful 1.0 launch of an independent developer's game, nine months later
In the world of PC gaming, Steam is undeniably the dominant platform, accounting for an impressive 99% of the market share. Yet, even giants can stumble, as developer Permadeath discovered when their highly anticipated game, Planet Centauri, faced a less-than-ideal launch.
Laurent Lechat, the developer behind Permadeath, revealed that a bug on Steam caused wishlist email notifications for the launch of Planet Centauri to not be sent out. This oversight meant that the game missed out on a valuable opportunity to appear on Steam's New & Tending listings.
Planet Centauri, a 2D sandbox game, had garnered significant interest before its release, with over 130,000 Steam users adding it to their wishlists. The game also managed to make over 100,000 sales. If launch notifications had been sent, it's speculated that Planet Centauri could have sold even better.
The absence of these notifications also meant that Planet Centauri did not receive the crucial momentum it needed. This was a significant blow, as the game's visibility was already affected by the error that reduced its visibility at its release.
In an attempt to make amends, Valve offered Permadeath a chance to spotlight Planet Centauri as one of Steam's Daily Deals. This could help offset the lost visibility and potential sales.
The story of Planet Centauri's troubled launch has been shared by Lechat on Reddit, expressing his anger and bringing attention to the problems that can arise when a platform as influential as Steam doesn't function as intended.
Meanwhile, Lechat is now focusing his efforts on a roguelike game using the same engine as Planet Centauri, due to the financial constraints from the failed launch.
Lincoln Carpenter, a seasoned News Writer at PC Gamer with over 11 years of experience, has been shedding light on this story. Carpenter, who joined the team in 2024 after three years of freelancing, has expertise in various games such as Caves of Qud, Crusader Kings, and Monster Hunter.
It's worth noting that the bug that caused the issue with Planet Centauri's launch affected less than 100 game releases since 2015. Despite this, the impact on Planet Centauri serves as a reminder of the importance of smooth and efficient operations for game developers and gamers alike.
The 1.0 trailer for Planet Centauri has been watched almost 500,000 times on YouTube, indicating a strong interest in the game. If notifications had been sent, it's possible that Planet Centauri could have caught the attention of YouTubers and streamers, potentially leading to more sales.
As the dust settles on this unfortunate incident, the gaming community eagerly awaits to see how Planet Centauri will fare in the future.
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