Nintendo is hiring someone to document the history of its games

Nintendo of America is hiring a “Digital Archivist” who will be tasked with documenting the company’s history, including the history of its games.

A successful candidate will be tasked with collecting “technical records, engineering documentation, source materials, and institutional knowledge” related to Nintendo products, ensuring they are accessible to future generations.

“We are seeking a Digital Archivist, Historical Systems to support the preservation, organisation, and accessibility of historical hardware and software information,” the job description reads.

“Working closely with subject matter experts across engineering, product development, legal, and business teams, this individual will establish standards and processes that ensure historical information remains discoverable, usable, and preserved for future generations.”

In practice, this will also involve interviewing developers who have been with Nintendo for some time, recording their knowledge for the archive.

Indeed, the gaming industry is extremely prone to losing important documentation and experience. With constant mass layoffs, it is rare to see developers stay with one studio for decades at a time, which means devs take their knowledge and expertise with them. Not only that, but this is also a quick way to lose things like source code and early game builds, which can prove educational to a new generation of devs and ensure that older games can be brought back.

Admittedly, Nintendo has not suffered from this problem as much as others, with relatively fewer layoffs than its rivals. Now, with this job opening, it looks as if Nintendo wants to take advantage of that, collecting all the knowledge and materials that it has within the company to ensure that it is all preserved when veteran developers do eventually retire.

If you want the job yourself, you’ll have to relocate to Redmond, Washington, in the United States, as this is a hybrid position. You will also need relevant experience in collecting and archiving information and digital records.