 Nearly a year later on May 5 , 1951 , the Nimrod computer — created by engineering firm and nascent computer developer Ferranti — was presented at the Festival of Britain , and then showcased for three weeks in October at the Berlin Industrial Show before being dismantled . Using a panel of lights for its display , it was designed exclusively to play the game of Nim ; moves were made by players pressing buttons which corresponded with the lights . Nimrod could play either the traditional or " reverse " form of the game . The machine was twelve feet wide , nine feet deep , and five feet tall . It was based on an earlier Nim @-@ playing machine , " Nimatron " , designed by Edward Condon and built by Westinghouse Electric in 1940 for display at the New York World 's Fair . " Nimatron " had been constructed from electromechanical relays and weighed over a ton . The Nimrod was primarily intended to showcase Ferranti 's computer design and programming skills rather than entertain , and was not followed up by any future games . Despite this , most of the onlookers at the Festival of Britain were more interested in playing the game than in the programming and engineering logic behind it . 
