Nimrod

Nimrod is the earliest known example of a computer especially built to play a video game. The game in question is the game of Nim. The player plays against an AI. The computer was built for demonstration purposes at the 1951 Festival of Britain. Instead of a video screen the game uses light bulbs to display the state of the game. During the AI's turn the lights would blink, this could be slowed down so that the demonstrator could explain what the AI algorithm was doing. The game was developed to demonstrate the developer's computer design skills rather than to entertain. Nimrod was shown again at the Berlin Industrial Show in October 1951, before being dismantled.