Level-5 ?braced for new EU and US studios?

Japanese indie stronghold Level-5 is said will expand operations beyond its native country and open a new studio in North America.

And the Fukuoka-based outfit is purportedly planning to open a European office in 2011.

Reports suggest that Level-5, the studio responsible for the highly successful Professor Layton games, will open its new US office in Santa Monica, California by September.

A report from a Japanese media outlet revealing the expansion plans was translated and posted online via Siliconera.

At the time of writing, the report has not been confirmed to western outfits – though it is said that Japanese news outlets have been officially informed of the Level-5 International America Inc plans.

The professor Layton series, published by Nintendo, has established itself as a highly lucrative ‘evergreen’ seller. The range of DS titles  typically have some presence on the UK charts.

Level-5’s ambitions to expand to the west will offer the company local access to development talent, and could offer it a chance to further focus development protocols on western tastes.