I just spoke to a contact at my local Target store, who informed me of an interesting internal memo. Apparently all Target stores are to stop selling Manhunt 2, going so far as to tell managers to refuse shipments of the title for all systems, with Take 2 agreeing to take back all unopened copies of the game.

Why is this action being taken? The extreme violence in the game is the given reason, but my contact (an employee but not a manager) was told that it was due in greater part to the unfavorable coverage the game got in the national press the last several days. Target stores had been selling the game since it's launch, but it was only today that they were told to pull the product and refuse further shipments.

The listing for Manhunt 2 on the Target website shows that the item is "not available in stores."

I've spoken to employees of several other large retailers (Best Buy, Gamestop and Circuit City) and none of them are, at this time, taking similar actions.

Don't worry about the layout, etc, it's all for testing purposes at the moment. The list of changes since the last demo is pretty large...

- Fixes:
- Tidied up a lot of the code.
- Gadget deletion queue now handled solely in the VBL events.
- Optimised TextWriter by preventing it from drawing empty glyphs.
- Changed TextWriter into a static class.
- Optimised TextViewer so that it uses much less memory.
- Text font and glyph font now sent around hierarchy instead of each gadget creating their own font.
- Improved Font class.
- Removed 8-bit code from Bitmap class.
- General refactoring and code tidying.
- Made EventHandler methods virtual instead of pure virtual.
- Split gadget events into "raiseXEvent()" and "x()" functions.
- Clicking a gadget automatically notifies its parent that it is the new clicked gadget.
- Moved dirty child redraw function into gadget class.
- Added horizontal clipping to rect splitting functions.
- Fixed SuperBitmap border.
- Relevant gadget methods are now virtual for subclassing.
- Removed all unnecessary all_gfx includes.

- New features:
- Added non-draggable screens and windows.
- Added show/hide gadget functionality.
- Added ability to hide a window instead of closing it when the close button is clicked.
- Added closed/hidden/shown events.
- Added monochrome output to Font class and definable text colour.
- Added drawText() function to SuperBitmap class.
- Added window depth button.
- Added enable/disable gadget.
- Started work on alert requester.
- Moved text data manipulation out of TextViewer into a separate class.
- Added Gadget::moveTo method.
- Added Gadget::resize method.
- Added resize event.
- Added move event.
- Added value change event.
- Added window resizing (API only).
- Added radio buttons.
- Added radio button groups.
- Added "clicked" glyphs for screen and window depth buttons.
- Most gadget action methods (click(), moveTo(), etc) return bools to indicate success or failure.
- Added enabled/disabled events.
- Added checkboxes.
- Added NDS screen flipping and support for top NDS screen.
- Added screen flipping gadget.
- Updated screens to swap to front when clicked.
- Added a variety of gadget depth manipulation functions.

03 November 2007 - version 2.5b
- nds/3d/debug: vram viewer auto-updates 3d tree view (if any) during emulation
- nds/3d/debug: defaults to disable old/slow 3d debugmsg's (instead vram viewer)
- nds/3d/mtx: removed v2.5 z-rounding trick, allows to change projection per vtx
- nds/3d/mtx: gl_projection set to identity (but max depth +1.0 instead +0.99)
- nds/3d/mtx: all matrix math done by software without using any opengl matrices
- nds/spi: allows to deselect/disable spi bus without clearing the hold-bit
- nds/3d/debug: vram viewer displays texture bitmap for currently selected vtx
- nds/3d/debug: vram viewer draws laser arrow from screen-center to selected vtx
- nds/3d/debug: vram viewer indicates unused lights and color tables by red line
- nds/3d/debug: vram viewer shows color/material/shininess/etc for selected vtx
- nds/wifi/help: added port 24Ch/24Eh/250h, 264h/270h, 2A4h/2C4h, 2C8h/2CCh info
- nds/3d/speedup/frameskip: renders 3d only when needed (capture and video out)
- nds/3d/speedup: position vectors multiply only 3x4 matrix (and add 1x4 * w=1)
- nds/3d/speedup: directional vectors use 3x3 matrix maths (instead slow 4x4)
- nds/key1/help: renamed crypt_up/down (actually encrypt/decrypt) (thanks simon)
- nds/3d/stage2/buf: all 3d rendering/lighting/vtxmaths performed from buffer
- nds/3d/multi: uses a single opengl context shared (and working) for multiplay
- nds/3d/internal: internally translates gx commands 0..255 to ID codes 0..38
- nds/wifi/help: added W_TX_HDR_CNT port 194h bit0,1,2 info (thanks Tim Seidel)
- nds/3d/debug: added new 3d page to vram viewer, treeview for buffered commands
- nds/3d/buf: stores initial frame settings, reallocs larger buffer when needed
- nds/3d/buf: stores commands with original params, and results on each mtx cmd
- nds/3d/buf: buffers all gx commands (for future frameskip and for vram viewer)
- nds/3d/deguglog: appends current matrix_mode as comment to all matrix commands
- nds/3d/softlight: fixed shininess_table index (7bit index = 8bit data div 2)
- nds/wifi: emulates 0000h-to-094h-to-098h, and reset-098h.bit15-via-0B4h.Bit6
- nds/wifi/help: added 1D0h..1DFh info, added notes on body[2] instead txhdr[2]
- nds/wifi/help: confirmed 0B4h.Bit6, added 030h.Bit7, added info on 094h/098h
- nds/wifi/help: removed incorrect/unconfirmed rxbuf_begin/end-latching-info
- nds/wifi/help: added txhdr[2], port[0C0h], port[0C4h], renamed EXTRA to CMD
- nds/wifi/help: renamed W_RXUNITS to W_RXTX_ADDR and moved it to status chapter
- nds/wifi/help: added notes on registers affected by powerforce (and by irq13)
- nds/wifi: reflects powerforce to rf_status (unreported pictochat-lite problem)
- cpu/debug: replaced invalid tmb high-opcode error message by optional warning
- cpu/debug: disassembler shows invalid high-opcodes as such (thanks vladimir)
- cpu: emulates invalid add/mov/cmp thumb high-opcodes-without-high-registers
- joysticks: fixed unstable vint_inputs code (occassionallly skipped joysticks)
- nds/wifi/dslite: debug-iomap recognizes channel-number for type3 RF registers
- nds/wifi/dslite: emulates type3 RF registers (reading, writing, and initial)
- nds/wifi: emulates reading from RF chip, emulates initial power-on RF values
- nds/wifi/help: added RF2958 (aka RF9008) datasheet info (thanks Tim Seidel)

03 November 2007 - version 2.5b
- nds/3d/debug: vram viewer auto-updates 3d tree view (if any) during emulation
- nds/3d/debug: defaults to disable old/slow 3d debugmsg's (instead vram viewer)
- nds/3d/mtx: removed v2.5 z-rounding trick, allows to change projection per vtx
- nds/3d/mtx: gl_projection set to identity (but max depth +1.0 instead +0.99)
- nds/3d/mtx: all matrix math done by software without using any opengl matrices
- nds/spi: allows to deselect/disable spi bus without clearing the hold-bit
- nds/3d/debug: vram viewer displays texture bitmap for currently selected vtx
- nds/3d/debug: vram viewer draws laser arrow from screen-center to selected vtx
- nds/3d/debug: vram viewer indicates unused lights and color tables by red line
- nds/3d/debug: vram viewer shows color/material/shininess/etc for selected vtx
- nds/wifi/help: added port 24Ch/24Eh/250h, 264h/270h, 2A4h/2C4h, 2C8h/2CCh info
- nds/3d/speedup/frameskip: renders 3d only when needed (capture and video out)
- nds/3d/speedup: position vectors multiply only 3x4 matrix (and add 1x4 * w=1)
- nds/3d/speedup: directional vectors use 3x3 matrix maths (instead slow 4x4)
- nds/key1/help: renamed crypt_up/down (actually encrypt/decrypt) (thanks simon)
- nds/3d/stage2/buf: all 3d rendering/lighting/vtxmaths performed from buffer
- nds/3d/multi: uses a single opengl context shared (and working) for multiplay
- nds/3d/internal: internally translates gx commands 0..255 to ID codes 0..38
- nds/wifi/help: added W_TX_HDR_CNT port 194h bit0,1,2 info (thanks Tim Seidel)
- nds/3d/debug: added new 3d page to vram viewer, treeview for buffered commands
- nds/3d/buf: stores initial frame settings, reallocs larger buffer when needed
- nds/3d/buf: stores commands with original params, and results on each mtx cmd
- nds/3d/buf: buffers all gx commands (for future frameskip and for vram viewer)
- nds/3d/deguglog: appends current matrix_mode as comment to all matrix commands
- nds/3d/softlight: fixed shininess_table index (7bit index = 8bit data div 2)
- nds/wifi: emulates 0000h-to-094h-to-098h, and reset-098h.bit15-via-0B4h.Bit6
- nds/wifi/help: added 1D0h..1DFh info, added notes on body[2] instead txhdr[2]
- nds/wifi/help: confirmed 0B4h.Bit6, added 030h.Bit7, added info on 094h/098h
- nds/wifi/help: removed incorrect/unconfirmed rxbuf_begin/end-latching-info
- nds/wifi/help: added txhdr[2], port[0C0h], port[0C4h], renamed EXTRA to CMD
- nds/wifi/help: renamed W_RXUNITS to W_RXTX_ADDR and moved it to status chapter
- nds/wifi/help: added notes on registers affected by powerforce (and by irq13)
- nds/wifi: reflects powerforce to rf_status (unreported pictochat-lite problem)
- cpu/debug: replaced invalid tmb high-opcode error message by optional warning
- cpu/debug: disassembler shows invalid high-opcodes as such (thanks vladimir)
- cpu: emulates invalid add/mov/cmp thumb high-opcodes-without-high-registers
- joysticks: fixed unstable vint_inputs code (occassionallly skipped joysticks)
- nds/wifi/dslite: debug-iomap recognizes channel-number for type3 RF registers
- nds/wifi/dslite: emulates type3 RF registers (reading, writing, and initial)
- nds/wifi: emulates reading from RF chip, emulates initial power-on RF values
- nds/wifi/help: added RF2958 (aka RF9008) datasheet info (thanks Tim Seidel)

To ensure things work a bit smoother this year the judging for the competition has been standardized. I hope this does not throw too many people off but it should give people a much better idea of what we are looking for.

Judging Matrix

For the moment, no category is weighted more than another but it is possible the "Fun" category will end up worth twice that of any other.

Also the game submission and judging process is now fully web driven. This means the authors will control what info appears about their entries in the results list (and can update their info at any time). I had a bit of trouble keeping it all strait via email (i think last years results don't even list the game authors). It also means the results will be available as soon as all judges have submitted.

The final feature is after the results are published the general public will be able to rate and comment on the games. In the future, public opinion might factor into the final results but for this compo only the Judges scores will count.

Good luck in coding

http://www.drunkencoders.com/compo/compo.htm