What's Happening?
Indie developer Permadeath experienced a significant setback with the launch of its game, Planet Centauri, due to a bug in Steam's notification system. Despite having over 130,000 users wishlisting the game, Steam failed to send launch notifications, resulting in only 581 units sold in the first five days. This issue, affecting less than 100 game releases since 2015, deprived the game of crucial visibility and momentum needed for success in Steam's competitive discovery algorithm.
Why It's Important?
This incident highlights the challenges indie developers face in gaining visibility in the crowded gaming market. Steam's failure to notify wishlisted users significantly impacted Planet Centauri's launch success, demonstrating the reliance developers have on platform algorithms and notifications for marketing. The situation underscores the need for robust communication systems and transparency from major platforms like Steam to support indie developers. It also raises concerns about the potential consequences of technical glitches on small businesses.
What's Next?
Valve has offered Permadeath a chance to feature Planet Centauri in Steam's Daily Deals to compensate for the lost visibility. Meanwhile, Permadeath is shifting focus to a new project, a roguelike game, due to financial constraints preventing further support for Planet Centauri. This pivot may allow the developer to recover and potentially succeed with its new venture, while also advocating for improved platform support for indie games.
