If you’re a fan of games developed in Japan you’ll no doubt understand the importance of having a dedicated localisation team to ensure that the title in question receives a proper English translation and is released in Western territories soon after the Japanese version.

During the PSOne era it was not uncommon for a highly anticipated game like Final Fantasy VII to take more than six months to reach our shores, and often the English translation contained various spelling and grammatical errors.

Thankfully the situation has improved over the years, and some current-gen Japanese games such as Metal Gear Solid 4 were released worldwide on the same day.

Level-5 is one of Japan’s top developers and publishers, having created such hits as Dark Cloud, White Knight Chronicles and Professor Layton. The developer has also been behind the most recent Dragon Quest games (VIII and IX), both of which enjoyed considerable success at retail.

The company has just opened a branch in North America which represents its first foray outside of Japan. This is great news for all of Level-5’s English fans as the new branch should expedite the localisation and distribution of all its upcoming titles.

Level-5 International America Inc. (as the new branch is known) is currently asking Facebook users to vote for its most anticipated game out of ten unreleased titles. These include Ninokuni on PlayStation 3 and DS, and Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle on 3DS. You can find the poll on its official Facebook page.

The newly opened website is also worth visiting as it includes photos of its plush office as well as a look at Level-5’s varied catalogue of games over the years.

We wish Level-5 International America all the best, and hope that its efforts will also benefit all of us who reside in PAL territories.

Source: IGN