Episode 158: What’s Your Deal, Willem Hilhorst?

Episode 158: What’s Your Deal, Willem Hilhorst?

Author: Video Game History Foundation June 24, 2026 Duration: 1:08:50

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 (please use translation for an English version): https://gamescanon.beeldengeluid.nl

"The Treasure Room" (Schatkamer) (requires a Dutch IP address or VPN): https://schatkamer.beeldengeluid.nl

The European Federation of Game Archives, Museums and Preservation Projects: https://efgamp.eu 

Nintendo World Report: https://nintendoworldreport.com / https://youtube.com/@NinWRTV

Out of Commerce Works Portal: https://euipo.europa.eu/out-of-commerce/

Home Computer Museum: https://www.homecomputermuseum.nl/en/#intro


See more from Willem Hilhorst:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whilhorst.bsky.social

Sound & Vision Website: https://beeldengeluid.nl/en/


Video Game History Foundation:

Email: podcast@gamehistory.org

Website: gamehistory.org

Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg


Ever wonder how the stories behind your favorite games actually get uncovered? Video Game History Hour pulls back the curtain on that process, hosted by Frank Cifaldi from the Video Game History Foundation. Instead of dry lectures, each episode feels like you’re overhearing a fascinating conversation between experts. Frank invites game developers, historians, and storytellers to share their discoveries and the real, often messy work of preservation. You’ll hear about the frustrating dead-ends that make researchers want to bang their heads against the wall, followed by those incredible breakthroughs when a forgotten piece of history suddenly clicks into place. This podcast is built on the genuine thrill of sharing a find, capturing the human side of digging through old code, tracking down obscure prototypes, or interviewing pivotal developers whose contributions have been overlooked. It’s a casual, engaging dive into the layers of an industry often focused only on the future, reminding us that every game has a past worth saving. Tune in for a refreshingly authentic look at the passion and persistence required to keep video game history alive, one surprising story at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Video Game History Hour
Podcast Episodes
Episode 142: October Update [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:30:59
It’s another quarterly update! Host Robin Kunimune talks with Frank Cifaldi and Phil Salvador about our recent work. From Chicago travel to launching Computer Entertainer, from our new Booth-in-a-Box to 4,000 magazines a…
Episode 141: Hidden Advertising of Feminine Games [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:24
Phil Salvador interviews Dr. Stephanie Harkin, lecturer at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) School of Design Games Program in Australia, about her research on femininity in gaming, particularly in girls…
Episode 140: The 49 Ways of Sinistar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:15
Host Frank Cifaldi is joined by documentarian, historian, hacker, and all around cool guy SynaMax to talk about their documentary Resurrecting Sinistar: A Cyber-Archaeology Documentary. The 1983 top-down space shooter ar…
Episode 139: Phoenix: The Rise of Leonard Herman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:36
We’re joined by pioneer video game historian Leonard Herman, author and publisher of several video game history books including the first comprehensive book chronicling the history of the videogame industry, Phoenix: The…
Episode 138: Playing Faceball 2000 With 15 of Your Closest Friends [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:35
Host Phil Salvador is joined by Derek Alexander, of the YouTube channel Stop Skeletons From Fighting, and Zarithya, of the YouTube channel Zarithya, to talk about the fan-restored 16-player mode for the 1991 Game Boy gam…
Episode 137: Computer Entertainer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:37:17
Frank Cifaldi and guest-host Kate Willaert (of A Critical Hit) are joined by Marylou Badeaux to discuss the history of the vitally important Computer Entertainer, also known as The Video Game Update: a monthly newsletter…
Episode 136: Halfway Through 2025: A Mid-Year Update [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:22:01
It’s time for a little review of what we’ve been up to, so far, this year. With the official launch of our digital library archive, livestreams of game magazine unboxing and EPROM dumping, the newest collections of Craig…