Context and Driving Forces in the Development of the Early Computer Game Nimbi

The Danish computer company Regnecentralen developed a computer version of Piet Hein´s game Nimbi, a variant of the ancient game Nim, in 1962 and 1963. Piet Hein envisioned computers playing against humans, while Regnecentralen hoped Nimbi would illustrate the potential of computers to the public. Although technologically successful, Nimbi never fulfilled its promise due to hardware constraints and a lack of organizational follow-up.