Is it better to put MLP on hiatus or not?

[Leave a Whisper]

I don’t think a full hiatus of nothing is good, since shelf space is hard to get back once it is gone. But just enough old stuff to hold the shelves, and maybe one or two new things is good. A slowdown to help people not get overwhelmed and caught up. Some breathing room to exhale before the next big tidal wave.

Mmm...I'm not sure how specific brands work and it needn't be a big hiatus, but they do have other profitably viable brands to "hold the place in line"for a few months.

[Shaiyeh]

As a person who's had next to no interest in the g4 line, and is finally excited about new ponies again: no xD I really like the pony life toys, and I collect slowly, so I'd personally like to see them on the shelves for a while longer.

I can totally understand wanting a break though if you're the kind of person who wants to collect everything pony.

[banditpony]

A lot of people want the brand to do what they want.. but Hasbro isn't going to do something that purposely hurts their brand.

Since the target audience is young kids, it doesn't make sense for a hiatus.

I work for a different industry, but just yesterday we were talking about if we lose space for our product, it can be hard to gain it back. (It would be for different reasons, but the fact is the stores have the power here).

As a collector, I see these .5 times as breathing room. There's not too much to collect, and I mean, there's still something to enjoy or it's easily skippable too.

If MLP was ever like G1 or G3 again, where they were spewing out ponies left and right... THAT is where I would personally find it hard to keep up, or getting worn out because I feel like I couldn't take a break (Due to not wanting to "miss" something.)

[gabumon]

the MLP toyline must be profitable to some degree,  but I don’t get the sense it is a big money maker. from an observers point of view they don’t push it like it is.  they push Transformers and Nerf - all with simultaneous multiple sublines.

[Carrehz]

*shrug* If it's making them money, then they're gonna keep making 'em, and why the heck shouldn't they. No one's obligated to buy every single MLP product... if you're feeling burned out, just take a break and come back when/if you want to.

Also I'm pretty sure Hasbro cares more for the "fleeting demographic" - little kids who've never had ponies before, etc - than us adults and what we think, lol. It's easy to say "well kids get burned out on things too" and yeah, they do, but there's also lots of kids in the world, you know? One burns out, another discovers the brand for the first time and falls in love.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

I sure wish they would take a break!

[Leave a Whisper]

the MLP toyline must be profitable to some degree,  but I don’t get the sense it is a big money maker. from an observers point of view they don’t push it like it is.  they push Transformers and Nerf - all with simultaneous multiple sublines.

If it weren't a big money maker they wouldn't have kept it going so long. 

Making  is their priority,  MLP is their top selling girl brand and I'm gonna presume that its not really profitable to invest in something for decades if people didn't snap it up for their kids. Toytoons are heavily dependent on their toys and merch which is why some toons or generational iterations fell by the wayside regardless of how good they were. ThunderCats 2011 is a good modern example of this.

Its also why it can't take a short break. Realistically.

[Taffeta]

There's generally more emphasis on "boy" toy-lines anyway.

[Leave a Whisper]

There's generally more emphasis on "boy" toy-lines anyway.

Aint that the truth. 

[dragglereeka]

If you're a "must catch em all" kind of collector I totally understand taking a break during this time of course. Personally I'm not in love with the G4 or G4.5 toys, but love the cartoon series.
Hasbro did something incredible with the TV series which brought MLP to a huge audience - as others have mentioned, how will they follow that success?

As for an all new G5, collectors like us would have loads of ideas for how they should look and feel. (I just want them to be BIGGER than G4 ponies... they are too small lol.) 

But what would the next generation of children want to see ? That's the hard question. Toys reflect the culture of the time they were made which makes collecting so fascinating.  What do you guys think children and collectors alike would like to see ?

[Mana Minori]

If you're a "must catch em all" kind of collector I totally understand taking a break during this time of course. Personally I'm not in love with the G4 or G4.5 toys, but love the cartoon series.
Hasbro did something incredible with the TV series which brought MLP to a huge audience - as others have mentioned, how will they follow that success?

As for an all new G5, collectors like us would have loads of ideas for how they should look and feel. (I just want them to be BIGGER than G4 ponies... they are too small lol.) 

But what would the next generation of children want to see ? That's the hard question. Toys reflect the culture of the time they were made which makes collecting so fascinating.  What do you guys think children and collectors alike would like to see ?

I’m definitely not the “gotta catch em all” type of collector. I don’t have that kind of disposable income or space.

G5 ponies reflecting the culture of the times? Slimy, glittery ponies that have bigger anime eyes, and can twerk?

*throws my wallet into the fire*

[Nemesis]

As for an all new G5, collectors like us would have loads of ideas for how they should look and feel. (I just want them to be BIGGER than G4 ponies... they are too small lol.) 

But what would the next generation of children want to see ? That's the hard question. Toys reflect the culture of the time they were made which makes collecting so fascinating.  What do you guys think children and collectors alike would like to see ?

I think this is the best outlook to have, as an adult collector. As a nostalgic kid-at-heart reminiscing about what I loved when I was young, it’s easy to get upset by change in a franchise I have followed for so long. I think a lot of people here feel that way, and that’s normal and understandable. But I do think that part of the fun in toy collecting is in how different lines, gimmicks, and styles reflect on the times (and target audiences) they were designed for.

As for what kids today would like... I think this is actually an excellent market to introduce a reimagined MLP into. Unicorns, mermaids, and fantasy creatures are very trendy right now, as are vibrant and rainbow colors. Interactive “pets” like Fingerlings and Hatchimals have also been consistently popular over the last few years. Collectibility and variety are commonplace. Do I expect blind bags? Yes, unfortunately. Slime? Very possibly. But I also think we could be treated to a greater variety of characters, a heavily fantasy-influenced series, and a resurgence of popularity for MLP.

[Leave a Whisper]

If you're a "must catch em all" kind of collector I totally understand taking a break during this time of course. Personally I'm not in love with the G4 or G4.5 toys, but love the cartoon series.
Hasbro did something incredible with the TV series which brought MLP to a huge audience - as others have mentioned, how will they follow that success?

As for an all new G5, collectors like us would have loads of ideas for how they should look and feel. (I just want them to be BIGGER than G4 ponies... they are too small lol.) 

But what would the next generation of children want to see ? That's the hard question. Toys reflect the culture of the time they were made which makes collecting so fascinating.  What do you guys think children and collectors alike would like to see ?

I’m definitely not the “gotta catch em all” type of collector. I don’t have that kind of disposable income or space.

G5 ponies reflecting the culture of the times? Slimy, glittery ponies that have bigger anime eyes, and can twerk?

*throws my wallet into the fire*

You forgot to add the colorful poop

[Taffeta]

I also think that any new pony line should reflect the kids now, not what we want as adult collectors.
It's why I never really got on board with the 'bring back G1' mantra at the end of G2 and G3, and though I love the basic fun ponies, I really never expected that to happen. I'm also glad in a way they're licenced rather than by Hasbro, since Hasbro don't really have the vibe for their older lines any more.

...It's whether they have the vibe for MLP and kids now. I don't think it has to be slime and glitter poop. Kids always like slimy things and stuff like that, but it doesn't mean that it's the only way to go.

I think what kids really want in any generation is something that they can play with and enjoy with their own imagination as well as with stories they're told/read/watch on TV. After G4 there is probably an expectation that a tv show for G5 is a must, even though it's a disconnect from the older generations...it just has to be a good enough one to make kids want to buy toys.

(though I think dvd specials or online specials/shorts/streaming stuff might work just as well, tbh. It did great for MH in the early days.)

G5 is an opportunity to wipe away the stale ideas of G4 (whether you like them or not, G4 has reached its shelf life) and start something completely different. But it's whether Hasbro have the right people in their team to really do that.

[brightberry]

Hasbro's priority should be what's best for their employees and keeping the company running.  I don't always like what they come out with, but that doesn't mean it won't do well in a larger market or at least keep them afloat.  I think, eventually they'll make something I'll love even if it takes a few years. 

At any rate, I'm far more focused on Basic Fun ponies.  It's kind of a dream come true for me to see them brand new!