Round-Up: Square Enix Party, Legal P2P Games, Transcending Ragnarok

Today's round-up includes information on the latest Japanese showcase for publisher Square Enix, Trymedia's distribution efforts via legal P2P download networks, and a level roll-over feature for MMO Ragnarok Online, old-school high score style, as well as the latest product news and Gamasutra job postings. - Square Enix released the full list of games on display at its upcoming Square Enix Party 2005 event, on July 30-31st. Games highlighted with special events as well as video footage and playable demos are Final Fantasy XII, Grandia III, Code Age Commander, Full Metal Alchemist 3, Final Fantasy XI, Front Mission Online, Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, and the Japanese release of EverQuest II. Other playable games include Kingdom Hearts II, Heavy Metal Thunder, Musashiden II (already released in the US as Musashi: Samurai Legend), Slime Morimori Dragon Quest 2, and Final Fantasy VII Dirge of Cerberus. - Wurld Media and Trymedia Systems have partnered to make Trymedia's catalogue of titles available through Peer Impact, a legal peer-to-peer download network. Trymedia's ActiveMARK digital rights management system will be in effect for the titles released through Peer Impact, further assuring their protection from piracy. The system is in beta testing and is expected to have games available for download within weeks. "Trymedia's catalogue has something for every type of gamer, and this partnership moves us further towards the goal of being a one-stop-shop for legal digital entertainment downloads," said Wurld Media's CEO Gregory Kerber. - Gravity Interactive has introduced a unique feature to help give Ragnarok Online, its PC MMORPG that is particularly popular in Japan and Asia, some more longevity for players who have long since mastered their character classes. Those who reach level 99, the highest level in the game, now have the option to start over from level 1 as a Transcendent Class, which offers abilities and powers not available during the normal level progression. Those who reach the higher levels of the Transcendent Class will "achieve ultimate power" within the game world. - Also updated today: product news including the announcement of the PixelRiver Game Development Suite, and the latest job postings from companies including Activision/Vicarious Visions, Concrete Games, Cranky Pants Games, Cryptic Studios, ManTech-Gray Hawk, Sony Computer Entertainment America, Take-Two, Ubisoft, and WildTangent.