Company Town

Multimedia: Warner Music Group said Thursday that it has purchased a “significant minority interest” in San Jose-based Accolade, one of the largest independent producers of video games. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Prudential Equity Investors also owns a significant stake in the 11-year-old company, whose best-selling game titles include “Zero Tolerance” and “Busby” and sports titles such as “Jack Nicklaus Golf.” Warner Music will distribute Accolade’s software under its new multimedia division, dubbed WarnerActive. The division, to be headed by David Archambault--formerly vice president in charge of multimedia at Warner’s WEA Corp. unit--will publish and distribute CD-ROM software developed by a number of companies, including HyperBole Studios, Inscape and Imagination Pilots Entertainment.