Slashdot Mirror
RTS Halo Mod Stopped by Microsoft
Headcase88 writes "Microsoft has officially asked the creators of Halogen to stop development at once. Halogen was an RTS mod being developed by Halo fans for the past three years. From the website: ' I was going to write a big sappy letter here, but what's the point. So..that's it then, I guess. The forums, site, and Moddb profile will all be shut down within the week. I can't say it hasn't been fun. It's a shame it has to end like this, but I suppose that's how it goes. Thanks, guys, for all the time you've spent supporting us. It's been a pleasure. We hate this as much as you do.' "
Three years and MS never said anything. Makes me wonder if Bungie has a Halo universe based RTS in the works post Halo 3.
I'm confused...is this a C&C mod taking place in the Halo universe? Yeah, I guess I can't blame MS for shutting them down. But what's stopping them from removing Halo references, changing the graphics/story a bit and reopening?
Anyone else think the comments just weren't rendering right before they turned off ABP and saw ads?
The forums, site, and Moddb profile will all be shut down within the week.
If only I knew this before they closed it all down (I wish that said by the end of the week!), is someone going to host this on a torrent site somewhere? Thanks.
Let Microsoft know we're here! Drop them a line and protest it. Think it through, add all arguments against closing it down, order them and send them through. If you're short on time, at least send a mail saying you disagree. It takes 20 seconds and may help, you never know. Microsoft has billions, more products and lawyers than the Senate, a five foot effigy of Kaiser Sosa and some far too intelligent buggers running sales, but we are the Slashdot Effect.
- Jynx
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it well worth the effort.
Maybe they could contact Larry Niven and get permission for it to be a Ringworld Game/Movie/Fan Fiction.
They might need to pony up some funds to get rights for a game or movie, but I'm guessing Larry would be pleased with a good fan written story. (Heck, he let Roddenberry use one of his stories for an animated Star Trek episode...)
Randy
Ok, I really, really can't imagine how fan stuff, when clearly marked as such, is going to significantly impact their sales.
Historically, I imagine it's helped, more than anything. Consider all the Star Wars fan films. Consider Star Trek New Voyages.
Really, how, exactly, is this competition? It's even a different genre, fercryinoutloud. "Oh, I love RTSes, but the StarCraft story just sucks ass, so I played Halo instead. But now that there's a Halo RTS, I won't have to buy Halo 3!"
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
I haven't heard a single complaint from Microsoft about Red vs Blue, and that was arguably a commercial venture for at least awhile. In fact, Bungie included features in Halo 2 specifically to help RVB -- the ability to lower your weapon, for one.
Ok, fine, it wasn't a game, it's a TV series, but isn't that reasonable competition for, say, the Halo movie?
Not to mention that this actually hurts MS more than it helps them, though it probably won't have much of an effect.
Can anyone give me a moral and/or legal downside to leaving the mod team alone? Or maybe signing some rights over to them, if you need to make it legal?
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
That's a good question. Bungie (and Microsoft) have been historically non-hostile with regards to Halo properties (see Red vs. Blue, for example). However, in just about every case where Bungie/Microsoft have given implicit or explicit approval, the authors of such works came to them before-hand (or soon afterwards). So, given that Bungie is fan-friendly, and that there are probably more than a few Microsoft and Bungie employees who would love to play a Halo RTS, why didn't the Halogen guys talk to Microsoft three years ago?
And it ran great on a 300mhz G3 or something of that nature too.... Man, porting to D3D and back must really, really have hurt it :/
Not necessarily true.
First, Microsoft clearly loses nothing from this mod, since it's unlikely to displace their sales of their own properties.
Second, the goodwill generated by the Halo mod - nostalgia, fondness for the franchise, etc. - may well have sold more copies of Halo for it... without Microsoft having had to lift a finger.
(Then there's also the small bit about not pissing off all of the Halo fans who wanted to see the mod.)
So it seems kind of ridiculous for Microsoft to make this move. I'm guessing that its primary interest is in retaining control of the dogma surrounding the Halo universe. Doesn't seem sufficient justification to me, but at least there's a core of rationality here.
- David Stein
Computer over. Virus = very yes.