Sony Corp. restored access to its videogame networks for many users. Now the company needs to fix its reputation.

The Japanese electronics company said Saturday that it began reopening its PlayStation Network and Sony Online Entertainment services in the Americas, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the Mideast. Service to Japan and elsewhere in Asia will take longer to restore.

 

Sony's progress was a relief to customers eager to virtually punch, stab and kick one another online in popular new games such as Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.'s Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.'s "Mortal Kombat."

 

But branding experts agreed that Sony's image has taken a blow.

 

"Sony not only has to take technological steps to fix its security, but it also has to communicate what it has done," said Marc Rudov, a branding consultant based in Silicon Valley. "They need to over-secure the network and over-communicate what they've done."

 

Sony on April 20 shut off access to its PlayStation Network, which serves users of its gaming consoles, after the company discovered that hackers had infiltrated its systems and stolen personal information for more than 100 million user accounts. The company later shut down Sony Online Entertainment, which offers online services to users of personal computers.

 

The data theft, which included names, addresses and possibly credit-card numbers, led to lawsuits, inquiries from U.S. lawmakers and an apology by Sony Chief Executive Howard Stringer.

 

Sony was one of the top three perceived electronics brands by U.S. adults for much of the last year?until the news about the security breach surfaced. YouGov PLC, which runs a daily tracking service called BrandIndex, said Sony's reputation dropped below those of gaming rivals Microsoft Corp. and Nintendo Co. since the incident.

 

"We know even the most loyal customers have been frustrated by this process and are anxious to use their Sony products and services again," Kazuo Hirai, head of Sony's game division, said in a written statement Saturday. "We are taking aggressive action at all levels to address the concerns that were raised by this incident and are making consumer data protection a full-time, companywide commitment."

 

Sony, which said it was taken off guard by what it called highly sophisticated criminal attacks, vowed to strengthen its network security, in part by adding firewalls and additional encryption. Sony moved to appease its core gamer audience by offering a month of free access to premium services, among other "welcome back" gifts.

 

Still, many frustrated gamers have threatened to allegiance and purchase Microsoft's Xbox 360 in retaliation.

 

Jesus Contreras, 25 years old, was listing his recently purchased PlayStation 3 on Craigslist over the weekend, seeking to sell the console or trade it for an Xbox. The college student, who attends school in San Jose, Calif., said he missed playing games like Activision Blizzard Inc.'s "Call Of Duty" for hours with his friends.

 

"I feel that all the stuff I bought from them?games, map packs for 'Call of Duty,' other games that I've downloaded, it doesn't seem like they were doing their fair share," he said.

 

A few trigger-happy gamers wandered into Fuzion Electronics in Los Angeles, saying they were prepared to switch, but only one did, said Michael Tran, a store manager. The family-owned business fixes and resells videogame consoles.

 

Mr. Tran said few users likely ditched their PlayStations because Sony's network is free to use. "If they were paying for it, then there would be more backlash," he said.

 

Sony hasn't provided an estimate of the incident's potential cost, though at least one analyst has put that figure at more than $1 billion. Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, put the figure at closer to $200 million, including the cost of lost revenue, the investigation and the company's new security measures.

 

Mr. Pachter said PlayStation 3 owners are unlikely to ditch the console or the online service because of the investment they've made in games that only run on that device. But, he said, "If the system is hacked again, I think Sony will have a problem."

 

Winning new customers is an issue as well. Steve Beck, a technology management consultant at cg42 LLC, said Sony will need to demonstrate?in its games and through advertising?that its security is beefed up. "They need to dial up the advertising and marketing," he said. "Then eventually everyone forgets."

 

Sony's restarted service includes the release of a mandatory software upgrade for all PlayStation 3 videogame consoles. The network's operation will be limited at first, offering Internet-based game play, movie rentals and music services through Sony and restored support for online video streaming through companies such as Netflix Inc. The PlayStation Store, which allows users to purchase games and additional content, is one service that won't be available at the outset.

 

Sony will wait to restart the PlayStation Network in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. One reason is that Japan's industry ministry has asked Tokyo-based Sony for a more detailed explanation on how the online service works and what security measures the company is implementing.