Level 5 to self-publish Layton series

As part of its newly announced international expansion, Japanese developer and publisher Level 5 has stated that its long-term aim is to self-publish the critically and commercially popular DS series Professor Layton.

Currently published by Nintendo in the UK, the franchise has proved a big hit in every major market and recently spawned a big-screen spin-off, Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva, which is due out here in the autumn.

In addition, the company intends to open the doors on a brand new US office this September and hopes to follow this with the establishment of a European HQ in 2011.

In a previous interview with Nikkei Trendy, Level 5 president Akihiro Hino said that the US office would be around ten people, made up of staff from Japan and those hired locally,” GamesBusiness.jp reports.

He also said that he eventually wanted to handle the publishing internally for the Professor Layton series, which is currently handled outside of Japan by Nintendo.”

Other titles in the Level 5 stable include Dragon Quest VIII and IX, Rogue Galaxy, Another World, White Knight Chronicles and Dark Cloud.