Grand Theft Bicycle

Grand Theft Bicycle: A Game-Installation

Date: June 2, 2007, at 8 p.m. 
 

Artists: Steve Gibson, Justin Love and Jimmy Olson 
 

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.