Will the franchise ever be how it was, again?

[goddessofpeep]

Hasbro has two concerns that drive their decisions for MLP - how much money it can make, and how little money they can use to produce it. 

They catered to the brony market because it was making money.  Bronies had the numbers needed to get Hasbro’s attention. It also didn’t hurt that they were mostly guys, and Hasbro always been much kinder to “boy” toy lines, but it was probably mostly the huge numbers and the deep pockets.  And the very, very loud voices.  Bronies also had an insane online presence. Hasbro didn’t fully cater to them all the time, but they did give them a lot of fan service in the show, and occasionally in the toy line.

They went all in on the Core 7/Mane 6 thing because it’s much cheaper to produce a handful of ponies over and over again instead of having to design and produce a huge line of different characters. 

Hasbro will go for the easy cash, every time.  Right now that’s cheaply made ponies of the same 6 characters.  If the trends ever swing back to the collectable, varied pony line, that’s what Hasbro will eventually do.  I doubt there will be a repeat of the whole brony thing.  I think that was a perfect storm of influences that created this massive movement that ran its course.  I never expected the brony phenomenon to be in it for the long haul. A small percentage of bronies will keep going, and there probably will be some nostalgia thing in a few years, but I think the majority of bronies have moved on.  Without the numbers, the brony influence on the toy line and the shows will disappear in favor of whatever the next trend is.

[Wardah]

The GoH is actually a decent idea. I saw young boys also interested in those toys in the toy stores near here. I don't have a problem with that line.

I think people forget that when GoH came out the media was in "Go Grrrl Pwr!" mode. Mattel had just released DC Superhero Girls and Hasbro wanted a piece of the action. They wanted it so bad that GoH wasn't their only attempt, they tried it with Star Wars and Marvel as well.

[Nightbow]

In retrospect G4 might be my least favourite generation, but it is not easy to put my finger on why. I have strange feelings towards it. It started of good. The newly anounced artwork for the show felt modern but distinctly MLP. I got the first set of main six, but it all quickly lost its appeal after that.

For me, it was the toyline that declined first. I watched collectors trying hard to find ponies in acceptable condition. Personally I tired of the size, pose, and colour schemes, and the toyline didn't really recover after that. It was when the first supposed G5 came out (silly, because new poses does not a new generation make) that I found interest in the new, more articulated brushables. But it felt too late.

With as meager of a traditional toyline I can't say it was the show that "ruined" G4, but the show's subtle decline into brony pandering was a problem. At first it was a fun wink at the adult audience, and I appreciated it, but soon it felt alienating. I think the Muffin Pony was what broke G4. On one side you have a loud adult fanbase putting focus on unimportant but unique and fun background characters, and on the other you have the adults of the children that are watching, okay with the inclusion of differently abled ponies so long as it is not done with mean spirited gags and slurs. It was after reading the reactions to the slur nickname Hasbro gave her (later re-dubbed) that it became painfully obvious that I, at the ripe age of 20, was an old fan. I stopped feeling included in the brony fandom. I did not want our "here first" fanbase to be a subgenre of bronies, and distanced myself from the fanbase.

After that, the show took a nosedive. Say what you want. Ponies are for children. I will never forgive Hasbro for creating a show that acknowledged the not childfriendly sides of the brony fandom. I will never forgive the animation of sweaty, sultry Applejack eating a juicy apple with bedroom eyes, or the show's portrayal of Daring Do bodypillows. That's not innocent fun. That's not in my gutter mind talking. That is inapproperiate.

But all that said, who cares about bronydom. It was a fun ride and now it is over. I am glad so many people found something good in MLP, but the people who latch on to fandoms for the sake of fandom will move on. Non-toxic fans will stay. Everything is going to be fine.

But I don't think G5 will be the generation when it all "goes back to normal". I think we would need a proper reboot for that. New old characters and ideas, a vision and bible like the one Lauren Faust developed. And I don't want to be the one who praises Faust as a God, but I am sure that G4  could have been so much better.

We need time. We're going to plow through G4.5 Pony Life and feel nostalgic for G3 now. I'm excited to see what will come after that. I'm just relieved that we are finally waving good bye to a part of the fandom that sought to put its mark not only on the present, but the past too. In all of this I'm still miffed that people think Tales is G2, effectively erasing my favourite gen. And a the same time I'm grateful, for its invisibility has kept it safe and pure. But at the same time G2 influences is what I'm hoping for in G5. Slender horselike pastel ponies with individual magic in a high fantasy setting.

[BubbleTea]

At least G1 coupled its gimmicks with new characters.

This. Other toylines that are currently more popular than mlp (LOL and OMG for instance) take full advantage of the surprise trend by releasing brand new characters with each wave of surprise toys. I wish Hasbro would do this.

Spoiler

that probably means that the toy you would end up getting would have to be a complete mystery but that's what's popular now i guess

I don't think the mane six will go away any time soon, especially Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash since they've been around for 17 years. If Hasbro wants a core group of characters then they've found which ones work (except for Applejack maybe.)

[Taffeta]

At least G1 coupled its gimmicks with new characters.

This. Other toylines that are currently more popular than mlp (LOL and OMG for instance) take full advantage of the surprise trend by releasing brand new characters with each wave of surprise toys. I wish Hasbro would do this.

Spoiler

that probably means that the toy you would end up getting would have to be a complete mystery but that's what's popular now i guess

I don't think the mane six will go away any time soon, especially Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash since they've been around for 17 years. If Hasbro wants a core group of characters then they've found which ones work (except for Applejack maybe.)

Applejack, who's been around for 37 years, is disposable, but 17 year Pinkie and Dash not so much. Oh the irony.

Although that sums up G4 really.

I also think Faust is part of the problem. Not necessarily what she did with/for the show, although frankly the show is weak imo. But more the outside-the-show thing. Even on The Toys that Made Us. I understand why she was involved, but it also bothered me that she was involved because her perspective on G1 has been conflated with actual G1 and that's just nonsense. G1 was about every kid defining their own generation. Not people adhering to hers. I don't like seeing G1 interpreted through the eyes of bronies, but nor do I like it interpreted through the eyes of only one child of the time. One who really doesn't remember very well the actual canon and doesn't articulate on what she does remember very well, leading to misunderstandings. Also FIM is basically everything that the older generations were criticised for being in terms of the animation. Which is ironic in a non-funny way.

I also hate when they call Tales G2. I hate more that other things (including TTMU) also sort of adopted that idea as well. This comes back to defining G1 or other generations by G4 standards though, my absolute pet hate where G4 is concerned.

[ridi]

Whenever I mention I'm a fan of My Little Pony I feel like I have to add a disclaimer that I'm only into g1/the 80s and 90s ponies, just so I won't be associated with br*nies 

[Carrehz]

Whenever I mention I'm a fan of My Little Pony I feel like I have to add a disclaimer that I'm only into g1/the 80s and 90s ponies, just so I won't be associated with br*nies 

Same here I really hate having to "qualify" my pony love like that. I mean, I collect multiple gens, but I don't "do" FiM or anything like that.

(btw, I love your sig image! Morning Glory Cute avatar, too.)

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

I like FiM, although I think it got dragged out longer than was healthy for it, it had too much of a tendency to fall back on gags, and the episodes that didn't advance the season plot started to get particularly divey around Season 4.

But I won't forgive the bronies for tainting MLP fandom in popular consciousness through their bad behavior. The bad behavior, the acting like they owned the franchise, the mindless hatred towards older gens.. Urgh.
There's a reason I started exclusively coming to the Arena and the Trading Post shortly after discovering both of said places.

[pawpatrolbab]

I remember joining the community pretty young - about 13. I was always a fan of ponies as a kid but hadn't found much interest in any sort of media outside of Pony Tales and a few of the G3 movies. I abolutely adored G4 but started liking the toys and the show less as time went on. I'm so sad that they stopped just making ponies. I miss being able to buy random characters, now it's just the same characters and toys  Don't get me wrong I love the main 6 but I would love to see some different ponies using the G4 mold....

Sadly because of the influence the Brony phenomenon has had I don't think that ponies will ever be the same again, but one can hope

[Leave a Whisper]

I won't forgive Hasbro anytime soon for that awful Retrospective. That was definitely brony pandering in the worst ways, for being disgusting, spiteful and innapropriate.

[Nemesis]

I’m still traumatized by the Daring Do body pillow. ._. How did that possibly make it to production? How did no one draw a line? The show is rated TV-Y.

[SpacePinto]

Whenever I mention I'm a fan of My Little Pony I feel like I have to add a disclaimer that I'm only into g1/the 80s and 90s ponies, just so I won't be associated with br*nies 

Tell me about it

I’m still traumatized by the Daring Do body pillow. ._. How did that possibly make it to production? How did no one draw a line? The show is rated TV-Y.

They obviously wanted to make a shout out to all the bronies who own such pillows.

[Taffeta]

I won't forgive Hasbro anytime soon for that awful Retrospective. That was definitely brony pandering in the worst ways, for being disgusting, spiteful and innapropriate.

Is that the media THING on which all that garbage about G1 being all about parties and stuff was said?

Or is that some other horror?

I just hate the way prior generations get reframed to make G4 look like the final polished evolution.

G4 is fine but it's it's own generation. It's not an evolved final form. This isn't pokemon.

[Leave a Whisper]

I won't forgive Hasbro anytime soon for that awful Retrospective. That was definitely brony pandering in the worst ways, for being disgusting, spiteful and innapropriate.

Is that the media THING on which all that garbage about G1 being all about parties and stuff was said?

Or is that some other horror?

I just hate the way prior generations get reframed to make G4 look like the final polished evolution.

G4 is fine but it's it's own generation. It's not an evolved final form. This isn't pokemon.

It was the one that tried to do a Pop Up Videos type thing, only it was filled with inappropriate and mean spirited "humor."

They don't treat their other big sellers like this. 

[Taffeta]

I won't forgive Hasbro anytime soon for that awful Retrospective. That was definitely brony pandering in the worst ways, for being disgusting, spiteful and innapropriate.

Is that the media THING on which all that garbage about G1 being all about parties and stuff was said?

Or is that some other horror?

I just hate the way prior generations get reframed to make G4 look like the final polished evolution.

G4 is fine but it's it's own generation. It's not an evolved final form. This isn't pokemon.

It was the one that tried to do a Pop Up Videos type thing, only it was filled with inappropriate and mean spirited "humor."

They don't treat their other big sellers like this. 

Ohh, That.
Well.

Girl's toy.

Nuff said really.