The good, the bad and the variable : How evaluations of past editions influence the success of sequels

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the marketing literature and practice by examining the relationship between evaluations of past editions in a series and the success of a sequel. Design/methodology/approach – A set of hypotheses was developed, guided by the theory of reasoned action, that state under what conditions past edition evaluations are more strongly related to sequel success. Data obtained from video game aggregator Web sites are used to test the hypotheses by means of a two-stage model estimation. Findings – Past evaluations of previous editions are related to sequel success. High variability among evaluations of past editions seems to be a negative weighting factor regarding the impact that past evaluations have on sequel buying. The relationship between consumer evaluations of past editions and sales of the sequel is more positive if there is a large community of users and if the product is consumed socially. Research limitations/implications – This study pertains to the strategic marketing of sequentially released products and provides new insight into whether and how past evaluations carry over from past editions in the series to the latest sequel. Practical implications – This study helps marketing managers to better manage sequels and use evaluations of earlier editions to assess the potential of a sequel. Originality/value – The paper explores the carry-over mechanism between earlier editions of a product and later sequels by studying evaluations of earlier editions in the series. It highlights the impact of variability of evaluations in the series as well as other factors, including whether the product is consumed individually or socially.