Multimedia: Cable operator Tele-Communications Inc. said Thursday...

Multimedia: Cable operator Tele-Communications Inc. said Thursday that it has invested about $80 million in cash and stock for a 10% stake in Acclaim Entertainment Inc., the Oyster Bay, N.Y.-based publisher of “Mortal Kombat” and “NBA Jam,” two of the best-selling video games of all time. The companies said they plan to develop games that can be played over cable and fiber-optic networks by many players at once. Under terms of the agreement, TCI and Acclaim will set up a separate company with its own management to develop and acquire game technology for networks. Acclaim will own 65% of the company and TCI will have the balance. The new firm will also develop technology to enable consumers to receive the games through next-generation cable set-top boxes. Though plans by Englewood, Colo.-based TCI and other communications firms to build a futuristic information superhighway have hit regulatory and technical snags in recent months, Chief Executive John Malone said games will help drive demand for interactive services. “We think that competitive games of skill over broad-band networks will represent a major new segment of our business,” he said.