Why won't Hasbro release new ponies?

[Pop!Star]

Let's get down to the science of it y'all!!

I understand a lot if members are here now because of the G4 cartoon, and are generally new collectors. So you all may not know what us collectors went through with the end of G3 and the beginning of G3.5

Basically Hasbro did this before only releasing the same 6 ponies over and over again.

This ultimately failed and we got G4, which in the beginning seemed like they were going to release new ponies..which they did..and them immediately reverted back to the same ponies over and over again.

Every time I walk into TRU, or Target the pony sections stay untouched.

The only ponies ever bought are new ones, and I don't see why Hasbro hasn't caught on yet.

There's no need for rerealeses of the Mane6 because all those rerealeses you manufactured last new series are..still..sitting on the shelves.

Hasbro doesn't seem to realize why MLP was popular in the 80's because it was a collectible toy.

Now everything just sits on the shelves until it clearences out.

Hasbro, if you'd put something new ok the shelves you might make a sale.

[Tigerlilyx]

That exactly sums up how I feel. :/

[Violet CLM]

Well, there are Sweetie Drops (new as brushable) and Skywishes (new in the US) and Diamond Mint (new as brushable) out now, and rereleases of less commonish Flower Wishes and Sunset Shimmer, plus Roseluck and Amethyst Star and Lyra Heartstrings and Sweetie Drops and Cheerilee in the EQG section, and soon Roseluck (new as brushable) and Maude Pie and Lavender Honey and Lily Valley (new as brushable) and Lotus Blossom (new as brushable) and Helia (new as brushable) and Maneiac (new in playful pony size) and Coco Pommel and that one purple villain pony coming soon...

[thecakeissisley]

Well, there are Sweetie Drops (new as brushable) and Skywishes (new in the US) and Diamond Mint (new as brushable) out now, and rereleases of less commonish Flower Wishes and Sunset Shimmer, plus Roseluck and Amethyst Star and Lyra Heartstrings and Sweetie Drops and Cheerilee in the EQG section, and soon Roseluck (new as brushable) and Maude Pie and Lavender Honey and Lily Valley (new as brushable) and Lotus Blossom (new as brushable) and Helia (new as brushable) and Maneiac (new in playful pony size) and Coco Pommel and that one purple villain pony coming soon...

and those are selling quite well, I assume. Because they're new characters. But many of those will most likely never be released again, while the overproduced Mane 6 will be all over the place and not that many will be bought. That's the point that Pop!Star was trying to make.

My personal favorites from G4 are none of the mane 6, actually. I like a lot of the 'background characters' way more than the main ones. That's why I loved G3 so much (even though they had characters like Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash that were considered 'main', they somehow weren't overused and annoying), and keep falling more and more in love with G1. That's the same reason I loved the 'old' Littlest Pet Shop toys. Because there were no 'main' ones.

[gabumon]

I agree with VioletCLM that there are a bunch of new characters being made, and I'm really happy about it.  But we're never gonna get away from having the mane 6 re released.  They've got to keep them front and center because when a girl sees the show (Read: 22 Minute Advertisement)  They need to be able to get one of the main characters at any store and any time - that's the tie in.

But if we can have the best of Both Worlds,... we'll get a mix of new characters, (Honey Rays, Diamond Mint, etc) in addition to the Mane 6.  I'll be happy with that.

[Galactica]

I do wish they would have tons of different characters- like G1- but I don't think we will ever see that again. 

Here's why.  Your average kid is not a "collector" of ponies. She or he doesn't want every G4 pony every made.  They want the ones that they know from the cartoon (which is not so secretly- a commercial).   

I can tell you that my nieces were totally obsessed with ponies after watching the cartoon- and who did they want to play with (selected from my hoard) - Twilight, Celestia, Nitghmare Moon and Cadence.  They were also more or less interested in having the other mane characters that they recognized from the show- but to a lesser degree.  They absolutely did NOT want any of my background character ponies 

I don't think they are so different than any other little girls- who are the primary marketing target for ponies- and probably the people who most ponies are bought for. 

So basically Hasbro probably does make some new characters for those kids that are new to MLP -  and a small percentage of new characters for the "collectors" of ponies (or for the few kids that never tire of them).

[Wardah]

I think it all comes down to how different the current show is from the G1 cartoon where they met  different ponies every time or G3 where the show was limited to a few direct to DVD specials. Look at Monster High. They keep adding new characters but they also still pump out Frankie and Draculaura and Clawdeen.

Tho I'm wondering when I'll actually see the new ponies.

[Taffeta]

I'm not sure about this. I think it's sad that Hasbro have taken this line.

On the one hand, the TV series constantly features these core six. That means that they always have to be on sale, to draw in any new fans of the show, as I think someone has said. Reworking them therefore makes sense, because Hasbro want to try and persuade kids who already have the originals that MAYBE they want a different one with rainbow hair or glittery cutie mark. I guess it's like SS Posey vs original Posey?

On the other hand, though, I think that Hasbro are working for the quick fix. I don't think as much thought goes into this line outside of the cartoon as has gone into previous. The G1 ponies all had individual stories and characters thought out for them right up till late in the line, but the G4 (and I think G3, maybe G2) never had this really. They have fleeting remarks on their cards, but Hasbro rely on kids knowing who they are from watching FIM. I suspect that, if FIM stopped, the toys would stop too - because, unlike G1, the toyline is not separable from the FIM series. The G1 cartoon is very minor in my mind compared to all the sets that were sold, since it ran for a limited time and featured limited ponies.

I've also noticed a few worrying things here in the UK. I do see kids buying G4, playing with G4, clutching huge pony plushes and stuff around town - but the stores that stock them near where I live seem to be discounting them before they even hit the shelves. For example, I just came back from Lincoln today, and during my trip I bought Diamond Mint and Photo Finish as souvenirs. Diamond Mint was already discounted by £2 and Photo Finish was part of a buy 1 get 1 half price offer.

 I don't see the core six moving very much here, either. If a different pony appears, it does tend to disappear in a few weeks, but there are always tons of Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie etc.

It reminds me of how much more difficult it is to find a 2nd edition Medley, Firefly, Bow Tie or Applejack, or a Second Edition Posey or CJ here in the UK. The kids already had them from the first year, so Hasbro's rerelease just picked up the new kids or the ones who somehow missed out in the first issue. I kinda think that,  by clinging to the Core 6 so much, Hasbro are reducing the potential of their product.

That and the fact that some stores here would rather stack piles of boxes up in front of the aisle and not unpack them when the shelves are more or less empty...

One last thing I noticed here in the UK, too - though this may in part be due to bad stockage in my area - is that a lot of the not core 6 ponies do not make it here. If they do, as I said, they get snapped up - but they don't often appear. I found a couple of ponies in Lille in France that I never saw in shops here (since I only tend to pick up FIM ponies as souvenirs from holidays xD). I wonder whether Hasbro's distribution of other ponies is as keen as it should be. I think they are denting the longevity of their product by obsessing over the core six. Yes, they need to be on sale all the time - but it wouldn't hurt to introduce one or two sets of entirely new characters with unique features at the same time...

When I was a kid, collecting Gen 1 ponies, I took great pride and care in selecting the pony from each set I was going to spend my money on, and I was always excited by the new characters, styles, ideas that came out each year. If I was a kid now, the core 6 reissues would probably have put me off MLP. I think Hasbro underestimate the way young girls think - and the ones who might spend the most money with them over the years to come are missing out because of it. If they want to capture the kids' imagination for a year, then the reissues might work, but if they want to capture the kids' loyalty and spending for several years, they need to think outside of the character box as well as all these gimmicks.

All of that said, I will admit that Photo Finish fascinates me

[banditpony]

All I can say is, Hasbro is very interested in making money. When G4 fails, it will eventually be phased out of stores. Until then-- they will continue to do what their marketing team feels like will make the company money.

I think it's good that they have all of the mane 6 out all the time. If I was a kid attached to a TV series, I'd want to get my favorite character...How many people complain that Applejack isn't distributed enough... So if none of the characters were around after their original release, I think there would be a lot of people wanting them to be rereleased. I get it that people are sick of the re releases... but I think there is a good reason they are always available.

I only collect Fashion Size ponies. This year I got Sunset Shimmer, Daisy Dreams, and will be getting Coco Pommel when she comes out. I'm pretty excited, that's more than any other year.

Plus those snowglobe ponies were pretty sweet, although I won't be picking any up.

[Twizel]

I agree that Hasbro is only concerned with their bottom-line, and not so much about adult collectors (except for like the comicon ponies).

I wish that it was like the 80s, with a bazillion ponies to choose from, but at the same time - I'm kind of relieved its not, because my wallet couldn't handle it! I'm still trying to get the 80s ponies lol.

What I wish for G4 is that they would focus more on the secondary and tertiary characters. I get the mane six, and I don't mind seeing versions of them, but I'd also like to see common releases of Zecora, the CMC, Photo Finish, the Apple family, the Changelings, Cadance, Shining Armor, etc. And of course Pony ^-^

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Consumer habits towards toys were extremely different in the 80's.  It wasn't until the late 90's and 00's that we saw the rabid marketing strategies that we do now.

[Al-1701]

I think part of them problem is Hasbro isn't selling characters anymore.  In G1, each pony had a story and they came in a variety of lively poses.  G4 is a small, blurb about their vague personality and come in few poses that lack any life to them.  The Sunbow/Marvel cartoon really only helped Year 4 when it had a full run and featured just about all of the ponies released in America that year.

G4 relies on Friendship is Magic to develop an investment by potential customers.  However, the show only cares about the Mane 6, princesses, and CMC.  The clique is completely insulated, and other ponies serve no purpose in the story beyond ballast.  The show doesn't care about them, so why should anyone else?

[ladybastilla]

It's rather ironic that the show--which for all intents and purposes was likely meant as a glorified commercial--is actually bad for the toy line it's trying to sell. Whether or not G4 itself is doing well, I feel that the repetition is bad for the overall MLP brand. To put it blunt, we all know Hasbro can do better. They've done it before. And I'm saing this as someone whose gateway into MLP was actually Friendship is Magic.

I don't know how I would have felt as a little girl... Unless I compare the mane 6 to Barbie and recall vividly that I usually wanted the characters in sets that weren't her. I had lots of Barbie (the character) and having her hang out with clones of herself was just plain boring. For Barbie, the clothes were a huge selling point and were what drew me to the dolls, but that only lasted so long.

Now, as an adult with limited collecting space, I don't have the room or the desire to collect 600 versions of Pinkie Pie. (Yes, I realize that's a big, made up number.). When I very first started collecting, I thought I was going to have Rarity and Fluttershy armies, but despite my love for their characters in FiM, the designs put out for them just don't justify having multiple versions of them instead of unique looking ponies from earlier generations.

Further, I am actually not compelled to collect the extras from G4. Since Hasbro has taken no time to really develop them the way they did with ponies in their earlier generations there is no real spark to them. Plus, now that I've gotten so much more into researching earlier gens, the designs and posing of many G4s seem bland and lifeless to me. And as someone who actually does play with the ponies she owns by making up stories and taking photos, G4 is actually of less value to me because of how developed the repeated characters are. There isn't as much leeway for me to develop them in whatever way I want to so that they feel like they are mine and are joining my world / herd / whatever you want to call it. (Based on watching my niece "play" over the past few years though, I have to wonder if kids have started being born without imagination. Kinda sad really.) <-- This could be a big part of why FiM and G4 were planned as they were.

So unfortunately for me, I don't go to the store and find MLP stuff I actually want as much as I initially hoped / thought I would. But at least I can visit places like the Arena and MLPTP and find people selling the older generations which have gradually become my areas of focus.

Makes me wonder, though... Kids might be okay buying the sixth version of Twilight Sparkle, but how do parents justify the repeat attacks on their wallets? Most of the repeated mane 6 stuff just doesn't warrant a repeat purchase, at least for me.

[CupidStrikes]

Consider there are a bunch of brightly coloured horses with brushable hair, stamps on their butts, and some variation of "My Adjective Equine", and varying degrees of looking exactly alike the real deal. Hasbro need more than ever to have their products stand out, so they are creating their brand around what are essentially mascot characters. It's the same reason why Pokemon wheels out Pikachu each generation even though there are literally hundreds of other Pokemon, many of which never make it into production as toys. Why? Because people see Pikachu and instantly associate him with Pokemon amongst all the other colourful monster toys eg. Digimon . This is also why there are a gazillion figures of Ash/Satoshi and maybe one or two of the other characters if you're lucky. It's the same of any series that features main characters, and then side characters - the mains get merchandise first, if they sell well, then they'll maybe trial the side characters. In sets of trading figures from Japanese series where each character is represented, the focus characters usually end up being the most sought after. More people want figures of Harry Potter than, say, Lavender Brown, or a toy of Simba and not Serabi, Elsa over the Duke of Weaseltown Whistleton (heck, Disney have made a mint on Frozen literally just selling merchandise of the same two characters over and over and over). There may well be a demand  for toys of those other characters, but it's a risk for the company as they might shelf-warm. With ponies it's hard to say as distribution is shockingly poor - some waves, mane six and not, have previously disappeared from an area for good within a week because clearly stores only ordered the one lot. Others, stores have visibly ordered many boxes of one wave and so they sit and sit and sit (especially as the UK idea of "clearance" is to reduce something by like 10%) It's actually been a fairly interesting pattern - One wave will sell well, so the stores will order loads of the next wave which inevitably shelf warm so they don't buy any of the next wave or only buy one box, which sells super fast, and then they buy loads of the next wave thinking it's a huge hit. Rinse, repeat.

Kids (or more importantly, their parents, etc, where the money generally is) are more likely to recognise the main six than random background ponies - maybe they only saw a handful of episodes and Big Mac/Spitfire/Zecora/etc didn't feature in any of them. They're not going to know who that character is and would probably pass them up in favour of one they recognise - eg. "I saw this toy I recognised from that show you love and bought it for you". Hasbro can't just stop producing the mane six, as they're hoping new fans will be coming to the series all the time and be wanting the main characters. Maybe they could even out the new characters a bit (but, there are new brushables in the CMM core line, Photo Finish, Coco Pomel, Diamond Mint, Honey Rays, Maud Pie, Mane-iac etc) and stop having so many exclusives, but it looks like exclusivity is big business right now.

Things aimed at kids seem to bloom and then die really, really quickly - loom bands, Moshi Monsters, etc - they seem to peak for about six months to a year and then that's it - every time I'm on FB or Ebay someone is selling a huge collection from one series or another that are usually less than a year old and are being sold because their kid has lost interest. If that is the life cycle of a toy line, then it's no wonder Hasbro are continually wheeling out gimmick after gimmick and not really marketing to long time collectors because, frankly, we're in the minority.

And - Hasbro's toy designers are just plain lazy. Really, really lazy. The toys have one single personality. They like friendship and "girl stuff" or some variation thereof. Twilight comes with purses instead of books or telescopes. Celestia, the age-old ruler, has nothing to say aside "I like having my hair brushed teehee" etc.

[Twizel]

"And - Hasbro's toy designers are just plain lazy. Really, really lazy. The toys have one single personality. They like friendship and "girl stuff" or some variation thereof. Twilight comes with purses instead of books or telescopes. Celestia, the age-old ruler, has nothing to say aside "I like having my hair brushed teehee" etc."

^This.