Grand Theft Bicycle: A Game-Installation

Artists: Steve Gibson, Justin Love and Jimmy Olson 

Date: June 2, 2007 at 8 p.m. 

Steve Gibson, Justin Love and Jimmy Olson developed an interactive piece that was as much satirical as it was engaging. Grand Theft Bicycle used the revolutionary Borgcycle™ to allow the user to enjoy the thrill of killing some fundamentalist diskheads. In Grand Theft Bicycle the participant sat on his or her heavily-armed Borgcycle™, faced a large projection screen, and rode his or her way to victory!

The player was given total control of his or her direction through the revolutionary Borgcycle™ interface: pedaling increased the player’s speed through the 3D environment; turning the steering wheel turned the player to the left or the right in the environment;  the front brake shot weapons; the back brake stopped the bike and holding it down reversed the bike.

As the player’s skills improved by taking out more of the enemy, the Borgcycle™ became an even meaner killing machine, adding rocket-launchers, amour, and yes even weapons of mass destruction! The artosts also encouraged participants to drink some Freedom Cola™ along the way. It gave bicyclists the energy to knock off the toughest invader or insurgent.