Why won't Hasbro release new ponies?

[banditpony]

I just want to add-- I *really* don't think Hasbro expects parents to buy 100 of the same pinkie pie. Maybe one, two, or three. I think its more so that they want a pinkie pie out at all times, and it would be extremely stagnant for it to be the same one with out a gimmick.

I believe, it's usually the buyer that dictates what "line" they have. Target doesn't want to carry 100% percent the same product that Walmart or TRU carries.The buyer has a hand in dictating where the line goes, not just the designers.

I've noticed sometimes designers have their jobs dictated to them by trend reports and buyer needs--- and they dont get much artistic freedom. You could say laziness, but I bet it's more deep than that.

[Pop!Star]

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).

I actually don't agree with you at all!

Little girls DO want to collect more ponies, my Neice has become disinterested in MLP and moved onto other collectibles such as Monster High, Ever After High, Zelfs, and Shopkins because she likes to be able to collect all the characters.

And Shopkins were you of the year last year and it focuses on collecting different characters so I totally don't agree that that's what little girls want.

They want variety and new characters haha

Post Merge: April 02, 2015, 07:37:58 PM

Also we could totally have the core ponies still. Moose Toys does this with the Zelfs each time they have a special wave, Masquerade, Scented, etc they release "core characters" while also bringing new characters in. That's exactly what hasbro should do.

Just a few examples..

The Rainbow Rocks line should have featured a new Rainbow Dash, with 4-5 NEW ponies.

The Crystal ponies should have featured Rarity with new characters, which they kindve did.

Each new set would focus on a core pony, WHILE expanding new and exciting characters.

A few ideas!

A Candy/Sweet theme line that features Pinkie Pie, and 4-5 new ponies that highlight new sweet/Candy themed ponies.

A animal theme line that features Fluttershy with 4-5 new characters.

This way they can feature their core ponies, AND bring something new and exciting AT the same time.

Heck, they don't even have to buy more plastic. They could reuse the 6 colors of plastics they already have and just make new ponies.

Like, using plastic from Rarity and hair from Rainbow Dash you could have a new earth pony.

Plastic from AppleJack and hair from Pinkie Pie for a new unicorn.

It's that simple, but they're not doing it. Hasbro DOES need to focus on their core characters but also need to go back to the good old days.

It just breaks my heart to sit the MLP toys sit on the shelf.

All the while little girls are eating up new toy lines like the Zelfs and Shopkins because they're constantly featuring new characters.

[Truly]

Well to be honest the rereleasing of the same ponies is absolutely killing MLP in all shops here, the amount is getting less and less in each store with some just not getting ponies at all anymore, while CMM has been a breath of fresh air with Flower Wishes and Sweetie Drops, etc, but now there's yet again loads of pinkie pies and twilights that no one is buying, I see only a few parents buying a repeat pony "you already have pinkie pie... Oh fine well your brothers getting (random toy) so I suppose..." The poor girl was looking for a new pony is the shop and settled for a pinkie because she didn't want to miss out. I've seen many little kids get dissapointed in the MLP selection and go to other toys instead. I'm pretty concerned that MLP won't last much longer here at all... It's the Ponyocalypse.

[Pop!Star]

Well to be honest the rereleasing of the same ponies is absolutely killing MLP in all shops here, the amount is getting less and less in each store with some just not getting ponies at all anymore, while CMM has been a breath of fresh air with Flower Wishes and Sweetie Drops, etc, but now there's yet again loads of pinkie pies and twilights that no one is buying, I see only a few parents buying a repeat pony "you already have pinkie pie... Oh fine well your brothers getting (random toy) so I suppose..." The poor girl was looking for a new pony is the shop and settled for a pinkie because she didn't want to miss out. I've seen many little kids get dissapointed in the MLP selection and go to other toys instead. I'm pretty concerned that MLP won't last much longer here at all... It's the Ponyocalypse.

Hasbro really needs a new creative director!!

I have no skills in that field but best believe I applied!!

[Taffeta]

I think a lot of the posts have nailed it. I don't hate FIM but I don't equate them with what I grew up with. I do hate the anti-G1 comments idiots put on youtube and the idea MLP interest began with G4, but I don't hate the toys themselves. They just lack...something. I like that with old MLP Hasbro experimented and in doing so, they made mistakes. Flutter ponies, for example,,..stunning but too delicate for rough play. Pink hair that faded on ponies whose streak of hair changed colour in the sun. And random inexplicable variations which gave each country's MLP a unique identity.

New MLP is too shiny in that regard. The final product looks nice but stays in safe perameters. I have one with affixable wings that I bought in Prague, but the wings are cheap and not a patch on flutter or summer/windy wings, with their colours and patterns.

It must not be forgotten how much of FIM's animation story is borrowed from G1, too. Tirac, Scorpan...even the elements of harmony are inspired by the Rainbow of Light.

In regards to kids and imagination, it is a generalisation but I think that technology doesn't help. In the 80s or 90s you had a static toy and you created a story. Now toys are digital, interactive, and do a lot of creating for the kids. Seeing small kids playing on mobile phone games is another part of it since that is not creative play.

The trend atm is to rinse repeat old stuff anyway...New Jem movie (don't get me started on that) and comic, dolls, new Ghostbuster film planned, constant remaking of TMNT, Care Bears, Transformers. And, not here at the Arena but in the wider web there are a lot of people who follow MLP simply because memes tell them it is cool and therefore they follow the pack but never spend any money on the product itself.

The other day I found stationery here in the UK featuring G1 MLP. It has been 20 years since G1 ended, but seeing that felt really good...after all this time I remember the names and personalities of the ponies featured....but I admit I cannot remember the names of most G4 outside the core 6 and buy them entirely based on whether I am away from home and whether I like their colours.

Monster High is one of the few toys out now where imagination still seems to be being applies, which is no doubt why they are so popular. If I was a mum with kids now I would probably look at them first for my child.

[Al-1701]

Hasbro really needs a new creative director!

I have no skills in that field but best believe I applied!!

I've thought of applying as well.  I also dabble in writing, so I could contribute to both the toy and media side of things.

I would like to bring back the setup of the ponies in a small enclave in a much larger world.  More to explore, and the ponies are more of a community with everyone having a personality rather than a clique of friends and ballast.

[achab1984]

I wish they would come out with some different poses for the G4 ponies. These ones are starting to get really boring!

[Rainbowrific Renia]

I wish they would come out with some different poses for the G4 ponies. These ones are starting to get really boring!

Agreed. 

[banditpony]

I wish they would come out with some different poses for the G4 ponies. These ones are starting to get really boring!

Agreed. 

I also agree with this! That's probably one thing that does really disappoint me.

[aluke]

I wish they would come out with some different poses for the G4 ponies. These ones are starting to get really boring!

Yes! If nothing else at least make the raised hoof mold the standard release. The generic standing pose is so blah.

Even better, I would like to see Hasbro release an articulated pony. Closer to the fashion style size, with 9-13 points of articulation (2-3 per leg, 1 for neck) and price it like a Monster High/Ever After High doll.

[Sakuyamon]

If kids weren't into collecting, Pokémon would never have taken of like it did.
I as a kid loved new ponies, it didnt matter if they were in the show or not (it did make it sweeter if they were though), I wanted every new pony I could get my hands on.
Humans are natural born collectors so don't look down on kids when the only thing separating them from us adults is money.

[Carrehz]

I wish they would come out with some different poses for the G4 ponies. These ones are starting to get really boring!

Agreed. 

I also agree with this! That's probably one thing that does really disappoint me.

ugh, yesssss. G4's been going for.. what, five years now?.. and the only poses we really have are the usual standing pose and the "one hoof raised" pose.

I understand why they re-release the Main 6 so often, but I wouldn't mind it nearly so much if they at least had different poses instead of just lame gimmicks like tinsel-hair and extra symbols.

[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).

I actually don't agree with you at all!

Little girls DO want to collect more ponies, my Neice has become disinterested in MLP and moved onto other collectibles such as Monster High, Ever After High, Zelfs, and Shopkins because she likes to be able to collect all the characters.

And Shopkins were you of the year last year and it focuses on collecting different characters so I totally don't agree that that's what little girls want.

They want variety and new characters haha

Post Merge: April 02, 2015, 07:37:58 PM

Well maybe it has to do with the age of the kid?  The desire to "collect" things is a actually something that 6-9 year olds develop (it's a developmental stage signal) - and given the relative simplicity of the toy- it may be that Hasbro believes it's primary target audience to be the 3-5 year olds.  Just a theory.

Also, I can honestly say that my nieces have enough toys between ponies, monster high, and especially various Disney dolls/characters-  do I really want them to have hundreds of ponies? Probably not.  They can just come visit mine

It's not to say that I don't want Hasbro to come up with new poses and new characters for ME- but I guess that is what the 15% of new characters is probably for...

[Taffeta]

We can't ignore, either, that even if people collect it, G4 is not a collectable atm. It is a current release toy. But, when G1 was out and a lot of us were kids, it was not a collectable either, it too was a toy.

Lots if us collected them, though, and that childhood collecting grew into adult obsession. The big question is, what will the MLP kids of today grow into? They are the collectors of the future...is G4 strong enough now to be a toy THEY later turn into THEIR collectable based on THEIR nostalgia, or is it only ever going to be something collected by people like us? Not to underestimate that as a force but to me a toy only realky evolves into a collectable if the kids that grew up with it make it one. Otherwise it is just a toy some adults collect.

[gemgemrosettes]

I think Hasbro are really missing a trick, one if the reasons the G1 ponies stayed popular for so long is because they kept it fresh. The animated movies and series had such a wide range of characters that supported the releases of playsets and ponies rather than limiting the toy appeal to just 6 characters.
If the series was developed mainly on the basis of launching and supporting the toy line then the format is very short sighted. I think they need to work on developing more characters further within the show and then link these to the increase in different characters within the toy line.
Just seems like good business sense all round and beneficial to both hasbro and the consumer alike.