G3 "Retro" ponies on Target website

[Leave a Whisper]

They need to feel the hate.

Hate only fuels their power. Hasbro is run by evil marketing Sith Lords.

[Taffeta]

They need to feel the hate.

Hate only fuels their power. Hasbro is run by evil marketing Sith Lords.

Hahaha xD Conspiracy theorising ftw

[LadyMoondancer]

There is no way Hasbro is going to change up the main characters.  Except maybe nixing Applejack, who sells the worst, but I think it's more likely they will keep her but "un-country-fy" her.

When a new TMNT cartoon is announced, would you ever expect the main characters to be anyone other than Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael?  And probably Splinter and April O'Neil?  Well, a main cast is now the reality for MLP as well.

[Taffeta]

There is no way Hasbro is going to change up the main characters.  Except maybe nixing Applejack, who sells the worst, but I think it's more likely they will keep her but "un-country-fy" her.

When a new TMNT cartoon is announced, would you ever expect the main characters to be anyone other than Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael?  And probably Splinter and April O'Neil?  Well, a main cast is now the reality for MLP as well.

The difference was that TMNT was always centred around those characters from the very start.

 MLP wasn't.

So while it may be the current reality, there's no reason for us to just accept it...as we know a different MLP from the generic blah of M6. And honestly, if we give up hope for something more, we might as well be burying the franchise now.

[LadyMoondancer]

That's true, MLP didn't used to follow that mold.  But now it does.  I'm not happy about it, but it is what it is.

I was looking at a lot of Craigslist ponies the other day (all G4s) that consisted of 48 ponies.  All but TWO OF THEM were Mane Six.

Hasbro doesn't care if collectors "accept it" or if collectors leave, because their target demographic is little kids.  Collectors are the cherry on the cake, but kids ARE the cake.

[Taffeta]

That's true, MLP didn't used to follow that mold.  But now it does.  I'm not happy about it, but it is what it is.

I was looking at a lot of Craigslist ponies the other day (all G4s) that consisted of 48 ponies.  All but TWO OF THEM were Mane Six.

Hasbro doesn't care if collectors "accept it" or if collectors leave, because their target demographic is little kids.  Collectors are the cherry on the cake, but kids ARE the cake.

True, but I wasn't thinking about it from Hasbro's perspective. I was just saying that as a collector we have no reason to accept it. We might have to put up with it as we aren't making the decisions, but that's not the same thing

[Pokeyonekenobie]

Hasbro doesn't care if collectors "accept it" or if collectors leave, because their target demographic is little kids.  Collectors are the cherry on the cake, but kids ARE the cake.

Yes, but if their parents have already bought them G4 Mane 6 toys for the last 9 years, why would they rebuy them as G5?  Most parents won't care that it's a "new" pony design, they just know their kid already has 3 Twilights, 2 Rainbow Dashs, 5 Fluttershys, 3 Apple Jacks, 4 Raritys, and 27 Pinkie Pies.  Their child won't need new ponies.  If the show wants to have main characters, that's fine, but if they don't change up the toy line, Hasbro is going to lose a bunch of money (and possibly annoy a bunch of parents).

[Carrehz]

Very well said, LadyM!! I hate the main 6 thing... but I accept that I'm not the target audience. And I've said all along that I can live with the unending onslaught of main 6 releases if they can have some different characters here and there, too. Now if G5 can give us more non-main 6 chars, THEN I'll be happy.

I wonder if AJ would sell better if Hasbro didn't always leave her out of things.

Yes, but if their parents have already bought them G4 Mane 6 toys for the last 9 years, why would they rebuy them as G5?

maybe Hasbro are counting on the "fleeting demographic" thing? Who knows how many kids have been into G4 for that long and are still interested in it. Not all kids hold an interest in the same show for its entire duration, you know? But I get what you mean... hopefully the G5 toys will be different enough from G4 for it to be a moot point.

I hope we get some G5 info soon... I hate all this uncertainty.

[Taffeta]

Very well said, LadyM!! I hate the main 6 thing... but I accept that I'm not the target audience.

I fundamentally refuse to believe that the target audience want the same six ponies ad nauseum for the rest of eternity.
I think that does kids a disservice.

[Carrehz]

I didn't say they did? I just said what we think isn't exactly Hasbro's main priority :/

[Leave a Whisper]

Hasbro doesn't care if collectors "accept it" or if collectors leave, because their target demographic is little kids.  Collectors are the cherry on the cake, but kids ARE the cake.

Yes, but if their parents have already bought them G4 Mane 6 toys for the last 9 years, why would they rebuy them as G5?  Most parents won't care that it's a "new" pony design, they just know their kid already has 3 Twilights, 2 Rainbow Dashs, 5 Fluttershys, 3 Apple Jacks, 4 Raritys, and 27 Pinkie Pies.  Their child won't need new ponies.  If the show wants to have main characters, that's fine, but if they don't change up the toy line, Hasbro is going to lose a bunch of money (and possibly annoy a bunch of parents).

Precisely!

Post Merge: August 02, 2019, 03:59:28 PM

Very well said, LadyM!! I hate the main 6 thing... but I accept that I'm not the target audience.

I fundamentally refuse to believe that the target audience want the same six ponies ad nauseum for the rest of eternity.
I think that does kids a disservice.

Darn straight it does. Hasbro does not do this with a select few transformers ad naseum. Why should MLP kids be forced to?

Post Merge: August 02, 2019, 04:01:17 PM

I didn't say they did? I just said what we think isn't exactly Hasbro's main priority :/

Sometimes the creator of a thing can make remarkably stupid mistakes. They aren't infinitely wise just because they created it.

[Carrehz]

I didn't say they did? I just said what we think isn't exactly Hasbro's main priority :/

Sometimes the creator of a thing can make remarkably stupid mistakes. They aren't infinitely wise just because they created it.

haha when did I say Hasbro were infinitely wise? I think y'all are getting the wrong idea, here. I'm not saying I AGREE with Hasbro's decisions, I thought I made it pretty obvious I didn't? I was just saying that what *I* think - what us adult collectors think - doesn't matter to Hasbro at all, and in all fairness why should it, really? We're not their target audience. That was my point. I never said that I thought kids liked the unending main 6 parade - I don't know what they're into. Maybe they don't mind it (although I doubt it, lol), maybe they don't collect ponies for long enough for it to matter - who knows. But that wasn't what I was talking about.

[Minty_Magic]

This is so cool! definitely maybe incessant, but I’ll probably buy at least one of two! It will be so exciting to see G3 in stores again, they were really my childhood ponies. I really hope they’ll release a Minty at some point, I can never have too many of her!

[Taffeta]

@ Carrehz I think there is a cross purpose convo going on here. I think both Law and I accept you are right about Hasbro and their views...however we...or at least I....was talking about my personal feelings as a collector. I have always said that I accept mlp is first and foremost about kids but it doesn't change the fact that as a longterm pony fan I personally have huge reservations about the future of the brand.

I also don't think kids want the same toys over and over.  Saying so isn't in contradiction of your point. Just an observation that in my view hasbro are out of touch with their target too.

I think they got dazzled by the brony hype and lost track of the core aim of the toy which was to enchant kids, not young adults looking for memes.

I don't think they know what the target audience is any more. And I think law was thinking similarly.

[banditpony]

I think they got dazzled by the brony hype and lost track of the core aim of the toy which was to enchant kids, not young adults looking for memes.

I still don't understand how the toys have anything to do with bronies. Other things, sure. the toys, not so much.

Yes, but if their parents have already bought them G4 Mane 6 toys for the last 9 years, why would they rebuy them as G5?

maybe Hasbro are counting on the "fleeting demographic" thing? Who knows how many kids have been into G4 for that long and are still interested in it. Not all kids hold an interest in the same show for its entire duration, you know?

this! I mean it's pretty obvious IMO-- they were there because of kids getting in later. I don't believe that the brand was carried by the toyline this round like perhaps in the past generations.

And I still think the major success of the show-- that licensing became the ultimate money maker of the whole thing, and that's why we saw variations of ponies drop off early within a few years. (And I'm not even saying that was because of bronies, but the whole thing was just popular with everyone).

That's why I'm not 100% convinced of what we will see with G5. I really think the FiM cartoon was a surprise in a way, and that they obviously changed gears for any initial plan. There's no way they can predict a good show, and that they probably will go back to giving us a variation above all.. and that the core characters will be there for the face of merch. 

it's just trying to think about the other things kids are interested in right now, and how toy horses really compare to that. We still are on cheapo blind bag junk right now, aren't we?