Episode 158: What’s Your Deal, Willem Hilhorst?
About this episode
Phil Salvador interviews Willem Hilhorst about video game preservation efforts at the Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision.
In this episode of the Video Game History Hour, host Phil Salvador interviews Willem Hilhorst, Media Manager for Games and Online at the Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision regarding their video game preservation efforts within the context of an audiovisual media archive. Established in 1997, the institute manages a growing collection of over 500 digital and physical Dutch-connected games. Hilhorst outlines key initiatives like the Dutch Games Canon and the Treasure Room portal for out-of-commerce media. The discussion addresses the legal and structural challenges of long-term preservation alongside the role of national identity in software design. Using Ubisoft's early French influence on Rayman as a case study, Hilhorst highlights how local cultural elements translate to international audiences. Also in this episode: the non-game material held in the archive, the potential canon inclusion of Moon Child, and Hilhorst's external work for Nintendo World Report and EFGAMP. You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify , or on our website . Mentioned in the Show: The Dutch Games Canon…
People in this episode
Host: Phil Salvador
Guest: Willem Hilhorst
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision, Ubisoft, Nintendo World Report, European Federation of Game Archives, Museums and Preservation Projects
Books & works: Rayman, Moon Child, The Dutch Games Canon, The Treasure Room
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