Sony Online Entertainment, a division of consumer electronics giant Sony Corp., expects to more than make up for the lost subscription revenue by selling optional add-ons, such as extra weapons or game levels.

"We're going to be launching this quickly," Smedley said, though he declined to reveal the game title. "We see it as a powerful way of getting people in" to online gaming, because many video game aficionados are put off by subscription-based games."