TOKYO--Nippon Ichi Software has announced that it has opened a new American subsidiary. Located in Anaheim, California, NIS America will be responsible for future operations of the company in the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia.

　　According to company spokesmen, Nippon Ichi Software opened the new office to strengthen its overseas sales and to take advantage of the growing role-playing and simulation game markets in America and Europe. Because anime is gaining wider consumer acceptance outside of Japan, Nippon Ichi Software judged that its games with anime-style characters will fit in better with the tastes of modern gaming audiences in those territories where anime is becoming popular.

　　Games scheduled for release by Nippon Ichi Software include Disgaea: Hour of Darkness (due in Europe and Australia in May) and its latest simulation game, Phantom Brave (due in North America in August and next year in Europe and Australia).

　　While it seems that Nippon Ichi Software will still have its games published by licensees for the time being, fans of Nippon Ichi's games should be able to worry less about its games being localized.