Motion capture teams already have unusual jobs, but the mocap artists on Electronic Arts’ "Need for Speed:The Run" had an assignment that was out of the ordinary even for them. Due to a marketing partnership between the street-racing video game and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit brand, they got to put the mocap dots on skin-tight suits worn by 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model Irina Shayk and fellow Swimsuit model Chrissy Teigen so that the two women could play a small part in the game itself.

Most social games have perks for those at the top of the leaderboard, but USA Network may be unique in making one of those perks be the opportunity to become a murder victim. But it does suit a game based on "Psych," USA Network’s drama starring two detectives known for their quirks and quips. The "Psych" game "#HashTagKiller" (HTK) went live today in a seven-week game leading up to the show’s Oct. 12 season premiere.

Rovio Entertainment, in cooperation with leading Singapore telco Singtel, worked with Uplause Ltd. to engage 50,000 Formula 1 Grand Prix fans as live controllers in a gigantic game of 'Angry Birds' on Sunday. The event was the first in an ongoing partnership between Rovio and Uplause that will audiences into the joystick at large events around the world. Peter Vesterbacka, Mighty Eagle and chief marketing officer of Rovio, said, “We think this new form of gaming will give fans a great opportunity to form a strong emotional connection with the characters.”

Now we know what Nexon was building up to when it shared the human interest factoid that 75 percent of "MapleStory" marriages end in annulment. The company announced "Ascension," an update and expansion that includes a complete revamp of the free-to-play game’s wedding system and new features to make staying married more attractive. Nexon also said that "MapleStory Adventures," a Facebook iteration of the game, has already exceeded 3 million registered players since its Jun 16. debut. In addition, it closed the beta test of "Wonder Cruise," Nexon’s second Facebook game, in preparation for its launch late this month.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today formally released its new Facebook game "The Big Bang Theory: Mystic Warlords of Ka’a," which has been in beta since July 27. The timing is not accidental. Warner Bros. Television's hit comedy returns to the screen tonight on CBS in back-to-back episodes kicking off its fifth season, having recently started to air five nights a week in off-network syndication.

Electronic Arts Inc. today announced Rajat Taneja has been named EA’s global chief technology officer, which makes him responsible for all of the company's technology decisions and investments anywhere in the world. He joins EA having been Microsoft's corporate vice president, Commerce Division, where among other things he led the development and deployment of all commerce and transaction technologies across Microsoft’s online capabilities in over 200 countries.

Disney Mobile quietly broke new ground Thursday by debuting its first original game character, a friendly alligator named Swampy. Developed by the team behind the squishy physics of the JellyCar franchise, "Where's My Water?" follows the adventures of Swampy in his surprisingly difficult quest to be clean.

Aw, tartar sauce! Viacom today fed fan interest in the upcoming "SpongeBob SquarePants" massively multiplayer online game, including a longer list of countries it will be released in that still does not include the United States or Canada. An iOS mobile game is also now in the works. The potential audience is huge. SpongeBob has than 27 million fans on Facebook. Syndicated in 171 markets in 36 languages, "SpongeBob SquarePants" is the most widely distributed property in MTV Networks’ history.

Sony Online Entertainment has decided to adopt a flexible free-to-play business model for DC Universe Online, the company’s popular massively multiplayer online game. Beginning late October, it will be free to download the PC and PlayStation 3 version of the game, after which players can choose from three separate levels of game options and benefits: Free, Premium and Legendary.