A group of Halo fans say their Halo multiplayer game is "following the rules" and they are hoping to avoid having their project shutdown by Microsoft.

The game is called Installation 01, and its creators plan to release it as a free multiplayer game that will bring fans back to that classic Halo experience. The group of creators called the release an "artistic tribute" to Halo, a game they all grew up loving.

But as is often the case, many fan-created games based on popular franchises are quickly shutdown by the companies that control them. For now though, Installation 01 has avoided any kind of cease and desist order from Microsoft.

Installation 01 and the impressive work done on it so far can be seen in this video trailer created for the game in development:

[HTML1]

In the description of the video on YouTube, the creators of Installation 01 say their work is completely legal:

“Our work is completely legal. We are carefully following the rules set forth in Microsoft’s Game Content Usage Rules. No content in our game has been 'ripped,' it’s all handmade by our team.”

Microsoft's Game Content Usage Rules usually pertain to content like machinima or videos by content creators, but this is a unique case that will be worth watching. Installation 01's netcode lead Aiden Leeming told Rock, Paper, Shotgun the team is confident that they are staying within the boundaries of Microsoft's established mandates:

“Well, we’re fairly sure that we’re covered by them [the rules] as we’re sticking well within them… we’re creating all of our own assets and not making a single penny off the game. However we’re currently trying to get some sort of contact with Microsoft to talk about how we can make sure we don’t get shut down.”

In its Game Content Usage Rules, Microsoft does state "We can revoke this limited use license at any time and for any reason." Fan creations like this one live in a gray area between legal and infringement, with many of them never seeing the light of day no matter how much their creators insist on their legitimacy.

Interestingly, one of the original creators of Halo, Marcus Lehto, tweeted about Installation 01, wishing the creators luck:

[HTML2]

As stated by the creators of Installation 01, "Our goal is to bring a unique Halo multiplayer experience to Windows, Mac, and Linux. We hope to combine the best elements from each Halo game, but will be focusing on the more classic gameplay style."

The game was developed using Unity and has been completely built from the ground up to feature all the Halo classics, from the sniper and battle rifle to the sound effects fans will instantly recognize. The creators are hoping to give the game the feel of Halo 3, but are also adding custom options that fans can tweak to make the gameplay feel as classic as Halo: Combat Evolved or as new as Halo 5: Guardians.

Installation 01 is clearly a love letter to Bungie's Halo games, and it will be interesting to see what happens to the game as development continues.

On the official Microsoft side, Halo 5 just teased its newest upcoming DLC pack.

Source: Rock, Paper, Shotgun (via PC Gamer)