Nintendo is hiring a contract archivist to organize engineering documents, technical records, and source materials related to legacy systems.
The new listing on Nintendo‘s careers page notes a 12-month contract for a digital archivist. The goal is to build an official database for Nintendo to reference its extensive history. Requirements include interviewing longtime staff and preserving hardware information and records related to legacy systems.
Nintendo Lists 12-Month Digital Archivist Contract
Nintendo is looking for someone with a bachelor’s degree and experience in digital archives, who can also interview experts to capture their knowledge of the processes Nintendo has used over the years. The archivist will then combine that information with other historical documents to create a database that is “discoverable, usable, and preserved for future generations.”
You can see a summary of the job duties below:
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
- Schema & Information Architecture
- Design and maintain metadata schemas for historical hardware and software assets.
- Develop taxonomies, controlled vocabularies, naming conventions, and classification frameworks.
- Create standards for organizing engineering, development, and technical documentation.
- Establish relationships between platforms, software, peripherals, technical specifications, source materials, and supporting documentation.
- Develop data dictionaries and supporting documentation to ensure consistent metadata application.
- Knowledge Repository Development
- Build and maintain a searchable repository of historical systems information.
- Define repository structure and organizational standards based on business and user needs.
- Ensure historical records can be efficiently discovered and reused by engineering, legal, product development, research, and business teams.
- Recommend improvements to information organization, accessibility, and long-term usability.
- Research & Knowledge Capture
- Interview subject matter experts and long-tenured employees to capture institutional knowledge.
- Translate informal knowledge into structured, searchable documentation.
- Validate historical information through multiple sources and document findings.
- Create reference materials, summaries, and supporting documentation for future use.
- Governance & Documentation Standards
- Develop documentation standards and archival procedures.
- Maintain data quality and metadata consistency.
- Recommend long-term retention and preservation strategies.
Over the years, Nintendo has preserved some of its history through digital offerings like Nintendo online platforms that let players enjoy past consoles on their Switch. Still, for some, Nintendo has often been an obstacle to video game preservation. With more than 50% of released video games not readily available, many champion ROM preservation.
Nintendo has never been shy about shutting down emulation-related outlets. While this new job listing doesn’t mean much will change in that regard, it does show their willingness to ensure their legacy is preserved for future generations to learn from.
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For more coverage from Insider Gaming, read how Nintendo’s preference for keeping long-tenured staff helps pass knowledge to the next generation of developers. Don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter, too.
I'm Robert DeFelice. I spent years covering pro-wrestling industry for outlets such as Fightful. After years in wrestling journalism, I’ve transitioned to video games, another passion of mine.
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