"It's a positive move that shows Sony is focusing on online gaming services," said Oka. "Online services have the potential to grow into a stable source of revenue within two to three years, if Sony can line up good titles." Sony aims to revive earnings by boosting sales at its game unit after introducing PlayStation Vita handheld machines last year. The maker of Cyber-shot cameras and Bravia televisions posted a 457 billion yen loss for the year ended March 31, as its TV unit continued losing money amid the strong yen, falling prices and competition from South Korea's Samsung. Hirai, who made Sony's game business profitable as head of the unit, is cutting 10,000 jobs as part of a turnaround plan. Sony forecasts revenue will rise 14pc this fiscal year, helped by smartphones and portable game players.