The MLP Arena
Pony Talk => Pony Corral => Topic started by: mercynova on May 22, 2012, 04:23:52 AM
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I was thinking about this the other day...
When I began to lurk in the on-line community in 2003, you couldn't really go too far without someone saying something bad about G2s, people couldn't stand them!
Nowadays however (perhaps alongside the release of G4s) a new found love seems to have emerged for G2s but people can't seem to give away G3s now. They're really not popular at all.
Looks like people aren't valuing things on aesthetics, but how old something is. G2s are from the 90s so they can be considered retro now (urgh I feel old!) and people suddenly love them. Perhaps when G4s come to an end they will be shunned in a similar way? Because I know when G3s came out people absolutely loved them.
Strange hmm...
PS. This is a completely generalised observation and I am in no way hating on any particular generation...
:)
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I think the simple answer is... people have different opinions and different ponies. ;)
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Some people already shun the G4s and miss the style of the G3 toys (not G3.5, those just really bombed out)
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I don't know, I'm kind of the opposite- when G3 were in stores (before I was collecting again), I HATED them- I'd completely missed G2 and thought G3 looked like giant-headed G1's who had dieted themselves almost to death trying to look like supermodels or something. It made me SO sad to see ponies going that way. Then I started buying them as baits... and they totally grew on me. Now I have over 70 of them, not counting baits. But you're right, they seem to be hard to get rid of a lot of the time. I'd take them all if they were cheap enough, though. ;)
Maybe they're hard to sell because they're still so common? I buy bait lots and fix up what I can, but I also find a G3 or two every few weeks at Value Village, so I generally don't buy them individually unless there's one I really want (and I'm not THAT into them- I usually just like what I get, or put away the ones I don't for later). I'm sure they'll find love again when the kids who grew up with them are old enough to want their childhood collections back, and some get into collecting.
If you add in G3.5, I think there's a lot of dislike for them, but I don't think they were ever popular with collectors. They have fans, for sure, but I see more negative comments here than positive. It will be interesting to see if they ever become at all sought-after in a big way.
As for G4, who knows? I'm sure that in 15-20 years the kids who play with them now will want them back, if they love them as much as I loved my G1 ponies when I was a kid- that's why I'm here. I hope MLP is still going strong at that point, in whatever form.
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I think the simple answer is... people have different opinions and different ponies. ;)
I totally agree :)
However what I'm trying to say is those opinions do generally seem to be linked to what I have said above. There are patterns occurring which I even find myself adhering to. Ie, I loved G3s at the beginning but now I don't feel that I have room for them any more.
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I loved G3s at the beginning but now I don't feel that I have room for them any more.
I have room for them! Over here! *waves* :P
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I wasn't here for the start of G3s, only the end, but my impression is that even for people who like them, they're so common, it's hard to sell them. Plus they're not too nostalgic for most people yet. But I don't see too much active dislike of them like I see for 3.5.
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I don't think that just because people "can't give G3's away" doesn't mean that people don't like them. I think that many collectors bought G3's as they came out, and then there were parents who bought G3's for their kids too. Now that people are finding them in thrift shops as kid cast offs. However, many people already have the pony, so they are not going to buy another one. I bought a lot of G3's at the end of the G3 run because I got into collecting them so late. But even now, I have at least half of them and so my buying of the common ones has died out.
I missed the G2 hate.....except for my own personal hate for them when they first came out. However, I was 18 or so when they first hit shelves, and I just couldn't accept that they were the same as G1's. When I came back around at them, and left my childhood bias behind, I found the beauty in them. I could accept them for what they were. Looking different made them lovely. I think that others feel more like that....though there are some who may only like them because they are now consider retro.
I also think that G3.5's were not given a fair shake. They were doomed from the start when they were only released as the core seven. I think the most sought after G3.5's are the OC mom ponies. I think they might have had a longer run if hasbro had opened the line up to more original characters. People don't like the regular ones, but I have seen people moon over customs made from G3.5's.
There are always going to be people who love or hate a specific generation. Hopefully as time goes on, more collections will start, then all those ponies who can't find homes will be given loving homes. :)
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when i started collecting, i wanted to get pony toys and went to the store thinking the g4's were WAAAAAAYYYY too small for $5 a pop. so i grabbed the last of the g3's they had because they were bigger and older. i thought i was getting a good deal at something no longer made lol.
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G3 were really popular, but Hasbro released them at such a rate that it was almost impossible to keep up. So people bought them but didn't really get a chance to get attached to them before it was "race to the store to get the next wave!" Then the Core Seven struck and a lot of people gradually left the collecting community out of boredom. And as they left they often sold off their G3s as they went.
I wouldn't say the G3s are unpopular or disliked. People just didn't get as emotionally attached to them. Their low prices are a result of too much supply compared to demand, not dislike.
Now, the G3.5s were CERTAINLY disliked and the fact that they were all Core 7 didn't help. Honestly I think the root problem is the molds, though; IMO there's something eerie and "uncanny valley" about them. I don't think they will ever achieve the popularity of G1, G3, or even G2.
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Nah I think it all depends on who you talk to. I remember people having a really negative reaction to the G2's when they were first released. They were teased and shunned long before the G3's came along! For years they were called anorexic ponies or lizard ponies. But they always had and always will have their certain fans, just like any gen. ;)
Like others have said, I don't think people have much dislike for the G3's right now (personally they are my favorite generation!) it's just that we have such an overabundance that they're not selling.
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G3 seems to get a lot of hate from newer fans these days because it is too "girly" compared to the current show. Most people don't seem to know the targeted age group was different from the one now and seem to judge G3 based on the movies rather than the toys.
Frankly, hating on older gens seems to have become a bit of a "cool" thing to do and G3 suffers the most from it. Possibly because there are still G3/G3.5 products in the stores and because characters like Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash are portrayed in them as, again, being "too girly".
A lot of other complaints i hear about G3 is the fact that they are too "fat" and look too much like actual ponies. G2 and G4 resemble eachother a lot more in the sense that they are both more stylised and slimmer looking. So that is perhaps why G2 is getting more love right now.
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Heh, some people simply dislike everything that came before G4. They just dislike G3,5 the most.
And while I wouldn't say that I hate 3.5, I can clearly see why the design would scare people away.
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Omg the G2 wars. The graphics and banners. Somebody dig those up, eh?
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I agree with the idea that it has a lot to do with a larger supply than demand when it comes to G3s, and the opposite with G2. I think people see so many pictures of G2s around here that they start to like them and want them, but obviously they aren't plentiful like G3s are.
However, I do feel like I see more dislike for G3 now than I did in the mid-2000s when they were current and exciting and we were getting new sets and characters all the time. I think it's part new fans who don't care for them, and part people getting tired of their huge G3 collections...
Omg the G2 wars. The graphics and banners. Somebody dig those up, eh?
I am now curious.
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I dislike G3.5 because it's Core 7. I actually like G3 but I have no interest in collecting the 450 or so ponies that G3 makes up. There are some G2 I like and wouldn't say no to. But my main interest will always nostalgically be the G1s.
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I do collect all generations though right now I just wanna focus on my regular want list for G1s. I will always love G1s. They will be what I mainly love to collect.
Though I do have alot of G3s I can not seem to get rid of them they do have a certian appeal to me but I dont collect the core7 stuff. I also try to keep it down in G3 poses to one or two of that particular pony.
I hate to admit this even though I dont collect G3.5s or G2s. Though I do have 1 G2 who is staying in my herd. I'm fine with that. I also do have G3.5s but I gave them to my daughter to play with.
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G3 looked like giant-headed G1's who had dieted themselves almost to death trying to look like supermodels or something
:lmao: Some of the G3s, especially those with harder plastic do have big heads! LOL That does bug me. XDDD
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I can't says I have ever hated any of the generations. I never got into G2's but I still think they are pretty. I don't care for the ones with the what looks like press on thick eyelashes, or the beddy bye eyes,but I don't hate them I even have a bbe lofty but I think she is cute. What gets me is I have seen some discussions on G4 boards where people have such a hatred for the G1's that it is not even funny. It kinda makes you wanna go(even though I haven't...yet lol) hey if not for the G1's your G4s's wouldn't be here..lol..That's probably mean, but man you should have seen some of the stuff I have read Whew! I mean I can understand not liking something, everyone is not going to like the same things(It would be a dull world to me in a way if everyone did) but I just can't understand the need to be so negative about it or negative towards people that like one generation but not the other. I must admit I actually like the G3.5's I am working on one as a custom but I have three that I plan to keep and looking for a couple more. I think they are cute in a odd sort of way. Then again I have odd tastes sometimes. I have to admit though I have seen some amazing customs made from them. That's just my two cents on it. ^.^
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I think there is multiple factors. G3, as others have said, is plentiful right now and easy to come by. I personally think that will slowly change over time. We still have a few more years before the kids who grew up with G3 get old enough to have disposable income. So love for older gens is basically true in that since. After a certain amount of time nostalgia will set in *and* there will be fewer to be had. Neither of these things have happened for G3 yet. Just give it time.
In the meantime, you will always have some people who are excited by whatever is newest in the store and they will spend their money there instead of on older items.
As others have said, it can also depend on who you talk to and why that person calls themselves a fan of mlp.
G3 seems to get a lot of hate from newer fans these days because it is too "girly" compared to the current show. Most people don't seem to know the targeted age group was different from the one now and seem to judge G3 based on the movies rather than the toys.
Frankly, hating on older gens seems to have become a bit of a "cool" thing to do and G3 suffers the most from it. Possibly because there are still G3/G3.5 products in the stores and because characters like Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash are portrayed in them as, again, being "too girly".
I agree with this also and with whoever said that a lot of newer fans and bronies judge the generations by the cartoons rather than the actual toys. I even remember making several comments to my sister during G3 about how the cartoons were being made for a younger audience than G1 was.
This is also the reason you here so many complaints about how the G4 toys are "inaccurate." I actually find this mindset a little unfair considering that the cartoons have traditionally been a way of selling the toys and not the other way around. Maybe we should complain that the show isn't accurate to the toys, lol!
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Heh, some people simply dislike everything that came before G4. They just dislike G3,5 the most.
And while I wouldn't say that I hate 3.5, I can clearly see why the design would scare people away.
I just don't like G 3.5 because I collect ponies, not ducks.
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Heh, some people simply dislike everything that came before G4. They just dislike G3,5 the most.
And while I wouldn't say that I hate 3.5, I can clearly see why the design would scare people away.
I just don't like G 3.5 because I collect ponies, not ducks.
LOL!! I just looked at my G 3.5 Scootaloo and yeah I now see the duck resemblance. Would have never thought that till I read your comment lol
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Heh, some people simply dislike everything that came before G4. They just dislike G3,5 the most.
And while I wouldn't say that I hate 3.5, I can clearly see why the design would scare people away.
I just don't like G 3.5 because I collect ponies, not ducks.
LOL I never saw it like that before... I will now always see G3.5 as ducks and G4 as deer. :)
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Personally, I think G3 was the most aesthetically pleasing generation. It doesn't hold the childhood nostalgia for me that G1 does, but I'm actually finding my G3s harder to get rid of than my G1s and G2s because they look so pretty and shiny and colourful when I get them out, lol. I never bought any G3.5 or G4 as I don't really like the shape of them and didn't have the time or money really.
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This is also the reason you here so many complaints about how the G4 toys are "inaccurate." I actually find this mindset a little unfair considering that the cartoons have traditionally been a way of selling the toys and not the other way around. Maybe we should complain that the show isn't accurate to the toys, lol!
Ha, i actually wish we would see more of the toy characters in the show.
I feel like they look better than a lot of the background ponies, who seem to be rather lacking in multi-colored manes and such.
I also think a lot of people consider the toys to be "inaccurate" just because they come with brushable manes.
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Heh, some people simply dislike everything that came before G4. They just dislike G3,5 the most.
And while I wouldn't say that I hate 3.5, I can clearly see why the design would scare people away.
I just don't like G 3.5 because I collect ponies, not ducks.
LOL I never saw it like that before... I will now always see G3.5 as ducks and G4 as deer. :)
Quack! :P
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Ha, i actually wish we would see more of the toy characters in the show.
I feel like they look better than a lot of the background ponies, who seem to be rather lacking in multi-colored manes and such.
I also think a lot of people consider the toys to be "inaccurate" just because they come with brushable manes.
My belief is they're just scared of spending any effort to get the toys to have a decent hairstyle. Resin manes (which are appearantly highly sought after) are just an easy (yet expensive) way out.
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i like g3.5, but i would have liked it a whole lot more if it had more characters! the same 7 over and over is just boring.
Omg the G2 wars. The graphics and banners. Somebody dig those up, eh?
i've read all about that, lol. i wonder what those banners look like?
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(I feel like you are talking about me with the new found G2 love heheh!)
I LOVE every generation. I have G3 & G3.5 stickers all around my computer screen, and on my drawing notebook. I used to not like g1-g3.5 because bronies called them so bad. This site made me realize how dumb the bronies were, ever generation is beautiful and perfect in its own way.
Everyone should have their own opinion about something, not just doing what they think others will like. Same with my friends, they despised earlier generations. I asked why, and they said "The fandom hates them". Now they have huge collections of earlier generations, because they learned to respect and love generations 1-3.
Now if everyone was like this... I guess we can't ever live in a world of "love and tolerance" for every generation...
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I don't have an opinion about the G3 toys one way or the other, but I can say with all certainty that the cartoon was crap. That's probably where a good chunk of the animosity comes from.
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I agree with many of the things Ladymoondancer said earlier.
I have my qualms with each generation, the G1s are my favorite - but even then the last few years I don't care for (yes, I'm still against PP ponies and the soda sipping ponies).
G2s, while I don't *hate* them, I don't collect them either. I think the baby unicorns are pretty darn cute, but that's about it.
G3s - I still love them too, but yes when they were on a mass roll out it was near impossible to keep up, I had to get choosy about which ones I wanted to get. Then we got into the problem of some ponies coming in ump-teen different varients, then the Core 7 over and over and over. I got bored. I got a few Ponyvilles and tried to keep up with the special edition ponies, but life and kids happen.
3.5 - I was bored with core 7 and so I never really wanted to get them. I have baby RD because she was cute. I wanted to get the mom/baby sets - but that didn't happen.
G4s - Not really interested in getting them right now. I bought AJ when she came out to put on my daughter's 1st cake and then she got another one for Christmas from her aunt. That's it. I've started watching the show and I enjoy it. I have a couple of Wave 1 blind bags, but not even all of those (again, time/money/family).
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I don't have an opinion about the G3 toys one way or the other, but I can say with all certainty that the cartoon was crap. That's probably where a good chunk of the animosity comes from.
It was pretty much aimed at very young children. It's pretty normal adults, teenagers or even older children will not be entertained by them. Thanks to my two four year old cousins i have watched quite a bit of cartoons aimed at that age group and honestly there are toons out there that are FAR worse than those G3 movies. I don't think they are as bad as people claim they are. Not at all.
And no, i am not talking about those newborn cuties "cartoons". Some cheap flash animation that was used on their site should not be compared to a full animated series with an actual budget.
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True, but even stuff that's aimed at little kids can have conflict, which the G3 cartoon was sorely lacking in. Sitting through one of those was like watching Seinfeld taken to it's next illogical step in being the show about nothing. Nothing, I do mean, nothing happens in any of them.
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Omg the G2 wars. The graphics and banners. Somebody dig those up, eh?
Ohhh man, I'd love to see those again! I remember one that said something like, "they're skinny... they break easily... they have weird faces... so how come no one hates flutters??" :P
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I remember those. Lady Moondancer used to have them all over her old site, "Moondancer's Dream".
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When I first joined the pony scene, G3s seemed to be pretty well liked. Heck, even now I see a lot of collectors preferring them over other gens because of their resemblance to G1, as well as maintaining horse like features.
I think a large amount of the hate is coming from bronies who are used to the streamlined stylization of G4.
Personally, while I think the actual molds for G3 are a tad generic, there are a LOT of really nice designs to be found, I also like that it has a lot less pink than G4 does |D
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I actually think g3s are pretty well liked in general. They were just so plentiful that there isn't as much commotion about them as there is about g1s.
Yes, the Core 7 followed in short order by the g3.5s kind of killed off the popularity of the line for a lot of the fans (me included.). But, before that? We had diversity and some popularity and some very pretty ponies. And ponies that were harder to find, like the birth flowers or the babies (Target exclusives) remain popular with some collectors, if perhaps not as popular as g1s.
So, I guess what I'm saying is I don't think the g3s are really disliked.
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When G2 came out, the community was all abuzz at what the new ponies would be like. The community was divided on them. I liked them enough to get one. The US ones were lackluster to me, and I really wanted the UK G2 I'd hear about. and now years later, I've yet to get one, but I hope to soon. I've grown to appreciate them.
G3 came out and I collected those. They seemed to be accepted by collectors, but as someone else said, they released so many!
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Ahhhhh, the G2 wars, back when ponies were SRS BSNESS!!!11one :silly:
Yeah, looking back it all seems kind of silly. These days I'm just happy when I see people calling the Tales TV show "Tales" or "G1.5" instead of "G2." Brooooonies, Tales is not G-Twoooooo.
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Not true for me... I loved the G3s since I saw them in stores, and I've loved them since! :)
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I think that there were just too many to keep up with and that they were overproduced. There was never an "I FINALLY FOUND HER!" moment for me because G3's were everywhere ;) It made pony hunting not as exciting, for me anyway. Now I complain that I can't find any G4's, lol! But G3 is my second fave generation and I will always love them :)
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I actually think g3s are pretty well liked in general. They were just so plentiful that there isn't as much commotion about them as there is about g1s.
Yes, the Core 7 followed in short order by the g3.5s kind of killed off the popularity of the line for a lot of the fans (me included.). But, before that? We had diversity and some popularity and some very pretty ponies. And ponies that were harder to find, like the birth flowers or the babies (Target exclusives) remain popular with some collectors, if perhaps not as popular as g1s.
So, I guess what I'm saying is I don't think the g3s are really disliked.
Wholly agree.
Also I don't like the G3.5 or G4 sculpts or artwork. I wish Hasbro would release more art ponies.
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I've liked all the generations with the exception of the g3.5's. So nyah! LOL!
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I've liked all the generations with the exception of the g3.5's. So nyah! LOL!
Well that jolly well told me :D
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I don't know - I was 18 when G2's came out, and I didn't particularly care for them then either, LOL!
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Well, I started my collection with the G3s even though the thing that got me hooked was Tales. As for G4, I think the toys are cute. So your opinion may vary. I've decided that G3s are beautiful and buy them if I see them. For example, I found a Butter Pop and Party Cake at a departmental store some time ago (why did all my best finds come during my leave of absence?) and immediately snapped them up.
So yeah, each for his own.
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People don't like G3 because the cartoons sucked. So, it's just the cartoons, not the toys.
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For me it seems to be the opposite, the more popular G4s get, the more I am interested in completing my G3. Just because I am discovering how truely beautiful and creative their designs were in the beginning. G4, I don't know, they look cute from certain angles, but they are so tiny, the styling ones are too big, and so far most of their designs are boring, nothing special. I love the new male ponies though, because they do look different with their new hairstyle.
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I think the reason some people aren't as interested in G3's right now is because G4s are all the rage now and are the main product being sold at stores. G3's are old now, but not as old as previous generations, so maybe there is not the same allure as with G1,G2 of the G3 being rare or hard to find because they are still really new and there are a tonne of them floating around.
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I grew up with G1, so they're obviously my favorites. I only ever owned one G2 (I was 7 or 8 when I got her I think) and I didn't play with her as much because she just didn't feel like a pony to me.
As a collector, I only started out wanting G1s. G2 has begun to grow on me and I have found myself wanting a few, but I only have one little baby right now (she was a gift). The G3s are cute and have some great designs (until the Core 7 nonsense took over), but I am not attracted to them enough to have them in my collection. I don't dislike them though. G3.5 was awful, they just looked silly and there was no diversity. I don't think many people were happy with that round. I fell in love with G4 pretty quickly, they are just so adorable! It's the only gen besides G1 that I will actively seek out on occasion and display with the rest of my ponies.
So I guess I'm another that likes all the gens except 3.5 :silly: They're all ponies and I love 'em :)
(I feel like you are talking about me with the new found G2 love heheh!)
I LOVE every generation. I have G3 & G3.5 stickers all around my computer screen, and on my drawing notebook. I used to not like g1-g3.5 because bronies called them so bad. This site made me realize how dumb the bronies were, ever generation is beautiful and perfect in its own way.
Everyone should have their own opinion about something, not just doing what they think others will like. Same with my friends, they despised earlier generations. I asked why, and they said "The fandom hates them". Now they have huge collections of earlier generations, because they learned to respect and love generations 1-3.
Now if everyone was like this... I guess we can't ever live in a world of "love and tolerance" for every generation...
*huggles* That's the spirit! :D
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People don't like G3 because the cartoons sucked. So, it's just the cartoons, not the toys.
I kind of hate the assumption that people would dismiss an entire toy line just because it didn't have a great cartoon. Lots of people loved and continue to love G3, because of the toys, not because of the marketing. Plus, G3 never had a proper show like G1, G2 (depending on what generation you associate Pony Tales with), and G4; so comparing G3's cartoons to any of those isn't very fair.
As far as G3's toys go, they were difficult to sell even before G3.5 came into play. It's just that they're easy to find in places like thrift shops and flea markets, so people don't have a lot of reason to buy them online. It's more to do with overproduction then unpopularity.
G4 may have a very popular show, some boy characters, and an equal number of earth ponies/unicorns/pegasi, but G3 had a lot more variety in colors, molds, they were bigger, and they had less re-releases of the same character for the majority of the run. Neither generation is better then the other :)
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People don't like G3 because the cartoons sucked. So, it's just the cartoons, not the toys.
The cartoons were aimed at very young children. There was even one on learning how to count.
They didn't really suck all that much (just check other cartoons aimed at that target group). The problem is just that for some reason people think these toons should entertain a bunch of teenagers and adults.
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I love them all xD ALL THE PONIES MWAHAHA
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I can't say I hate any generation. G1 are my childhood ponies and will always be most important. G2's are growing on me and I will be happy to have some now and then, although my main focus is G1 so I will rather buy them. I only have one G2 that I found in a thrift store, I'm keeping her ^^. When I was younger I can't say I even noticed the G2's, I guess I didn't recognise them as ponies, I don't remember them anyway. G3 I don't really care for, I don't like their molds, but must say there are some nice designs so I might get a few sometime. I love any sparkle pony for a start :). I have only two G3's though. G3,5, hmm, I don't think I will ever want any for myself. If I find some in thrift stores or something I will be happy to let my son play with them, my collection is locked away from him so I guess I need to give him some ponies of his own. He does seem interested anyway ^^. I really like G4's and have quite a few of them, but can't really afford them all so I will only get my favourite designs in future. And I'm also thinking that really I'm happy to wait until I can buy some more second hand as I don't care for their accessories anyway.
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I think this works across lots of things not just ponies...all of a sudden you go off "what is dated" and love the "something new". But its swings and roundabouts and as the years pass, I think you see a lot of people change. The anti G2 thing is a perfect example - from disliked to loved!
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The only ones I actively dislike are the 3.5s! Really not my thing. I don't collect G2s, but I think they're ok. G1s are my childhood ponies, too (and so, my favorite) but I really like G3 and G4 as well.
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I don't think G3s are unpopular, just easy to come by. There were a lot more adult collectors by the G3 era than there were when G1 and G2 were around so there are more mint condition G3 ponies around too. I doubt G3s will ever be as valuable as their predecessors, but that doesn't mean people don't love and collect them...just that most of them were excessively mass produced so there are far too many of them still floating around out there at the moment!
People don't like G3 because the cartoons sucked. So, it's just the cartoons, not the toys.
The cartoons were aimed at very young children. There was even one on learning how to count.
They didn't really suck all that much (just check other cartoons aimed at that target group). The problem is just that for some reason people think these toons should entertain a bunch of teenagers and adults.
THANK YOU! Someone else understands! The animation in some of the later G3 webisodes was a bit lazy, I admit, the stories were simple but still entertaining (and sometimes educational) to the young audience they were aimed at. The voice acting in G3 was just as good as in FiM (half the cast are the very same people, for goodness sake!), and yet just because it's "childish and girly" (uh, hello?! It's a cartoon aimed at young female children...) people will write it off as being "rubbish" or "made by amateurs".
I'm sorry some adults are not entertained by a pre-school cartoon. How terrible of everyone involved in its production not to think of an audience they never expected to be watching it in the first place! Let's wish death on them and attack them with pitchforks! >.<
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I have a love and respect for all generations :3
G3 is actually my favorite, but G3 ponies are what I grew up with (I'm younger than a lot of you, lol). By the time I stopped playing with ponies (before starting to collect them about four years later... lol), G3.5 had come out, and I didn't like G3.5s one bit. They annoyed me to no end.
Now I don't mind them, though, and in fact there's actually one or two G3.5 ponies I actually like, in particular Toola-Roola :3
I really like G1s since they're so pretty, but I really like how G3s look - just, like, the shape of their bodies, their poses, and all that stuff. Even the Core 7 I don't hate, now - not the best idea ever, yeah, but they're not bad.
To me, though, a pony is a pony is a pony. Unless they release a new generation that doesn't even look remotely like a pony - as in, like, they're giant dinosaur figures with hooves called "poneez" or something - I'm gonna love all the ponies existing now and all the ponies to come :3
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I value the aesthetics.
I didn't like the G2s and G3.5s because I don't like the mold, however, G2s do have the redeeming feature of having a few ponies with amazing color combos.
I also hate the teeny tiny G1 babies and I'm not crazy about the G1 baby merponies or the G3 baby ponies. They just don't look right.
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Yeah, it's weird, a lot of FiM fans have cooked up this narrative where Lauren Faust is leading a great battle against all vapid girly cartoons, of which Generation 3 My Little Pony is supposed to be the prime example, but come on... Don't you remember the story of how she and another producer watched "The Princess Promenade" for inspiration? I thought some of the longer movies of that time were fairly engaging, even if I got tired of the ponies' catchphrases, and how almost everything was about yet another "celebration", and how they didn't seem to know what to do with the Core 7. The shortest cartoons, though, might have left even the little ones scratching their heads at what the point of it all was; short films with a point are kind of a fine art, if you ask me.
Besides, I think the pony toys look different enough from how they look as cartoon characters that you can dissociate one from the other, if you want, and just collect whatever you think looks cool. That also goes for Generation 1, where it appeared that every pony got slimmed down for animation, and differing media defined the nature of Ponyland very differently. Another thing I find weird is the Friendship is Magic fans who say that only the G4s look like ponies compared to everything else, or that the toys don't look like the show. The way I see it, G4s look the least like ponies (next to G3.5, as G4 has the superior eye and ear shapes) because they're extremely stylized for ease of animation, with the big round faces and such, and only the fact that the animators put so much care into making them move and act like ponies pulls you into the illusion that they are. Taken as static toys, separate from the recognition the show gives, even with good molds it's easy to start to see them as just little deer with swollen mouse heads, and it doesn't help that new poses are slow to come out, and the hair isn't really rooted for ease of styling to look like most of the cartoon characters. So there's only so much that "show accuracy" can do for them, but eh, that's why we tell kids to use their IMAGINATION!
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the G3 ponies were actually quite popular, compared to the G2 ponies who were even described as mules or pubescent ponies back then (tho I personally adore them), the G3s brought back the cute faces and chubby bodies that we missed from G1 plus longer manes and other things
I agree that it's the G4 fans and those who didn't get to know the older gens like us dislike them so much, though the G3 line did drop horribly on its last years... shame, the first three years and some of the Crystal Princess line were truly dazzling... I miss them
the core seven line was a disaster, I remember how many of us were disappointed by the whole "no new ponies" business and the re-design of G3s into big chibilike ponies... brrr
For me it seems to be the opposite, the more popular G4s get, the more I am interested in completing my G3. Just because I am discovering how truely beautiful and creative their designs were in the beginning. G4, I don't know, they look cute from certain angles, but they are so tiny, the styling ones are too big, and so far most of their designs are boring, nothing special. I love the new male ponies though, because they do look different with their new hairstyle.
I totally agree, the G4 ponies are very charming... but boring. The ponies themselves, except for the main characters who have these amazing color schemes and designs, don't really differ from each other, of course this too is because the line is fairly new and perhaps soon I will find a character that I find more ehh memorable
But I was picking a few for a wishlist and couldn't fall in love with many as much as I did with the G3s plus I HATE the regular pony size, too small compared to the other ponies and that includes G2s who are already pretty small. I guess I'll end up buying the styling versions of my favorites and complete my older ponies' sets
Oh well, at least I'm glad that we have more male characters, that's one thing we begged Hasbro to give us and they didn't
it's not all black and white though, the G4 cartoon I think is a huge step for girly animation and it's characters are far more interesting, memorable and inspiring than most of the G3s, as much as I love the "darling" on the old RD the new one has a much deeper character development (marketing I guess, we collectors are never completely satisfied lol)
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People don't like G3 because the cartoons sucked. So, it's just the cartoons, not the toys.
Different strokes for different folks. In fact, my love for the ponies hit full-force because of Tales and was rekindled by G3. G4... I love the toys, but I don't want to talk about the TV show.
I don't think G3s are unpopular, just easy to come by. There were a lot more adult collectors by the G3 era than there were when G1 and G2 were around so there are more mint condition G3 ponies around too. I doubt G3s will ever be as valuable as their predecessors, but that doesn't mean people don't love and collect them...just that most of them were excessively mass produced so there are far too many of them still floating around out there at the moment!
Well, G3.5s are still pretty common, but you'll be hard pressed to find a G3 today. They're just that hard to find new in box on store shelves now, at least over here.
The cartoons were aimed at very young children. There was even one on learning how to count.
They didn't really suck all that much (just check other cartoons aimed at that target group). The problem is just that for some reason people think these toons should entertain a bunch of teenagers and adults.
THANK YOU! Someone else understands! The animation in some of the later G3 webisodes was a bit lazy, I admit, the stories were simple but still entertaining (and sometimes educational) to the young audience they were aimed at. The voice acting in G3 was just as good as in FiM (half the cast are the very same people, for goodness sake!), and yet just because it's "childish and girly" (uh, hello?! It's a cartoon aimed at young female children...) people will write it off as being "rubbish" or "made by amateurs".
I'm sorry some adults are not entertained by a pre-school cartoon. How terrible of everyone involved in its production not to think of an audience they never expected to be watching it in the first place! Let's wish death on them and attack them with pitchforks! >.<
I'm with both of you. Well said Malicieuse and Lancer. Well said.
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As much as I like the G3 toys--second best generation, IMO, in terms of toys--I did think the shows were really lacking. Yeah, they were aimed at very small children, but . . . so is Sesame Street, and they have some personality conflicts. At least they did when I was a kid. I felt they were underestimating the capacities of even very young children.
"A Very Minty Christmas" was very well-done, though. That was definitely the best of G3. Great songs, too.
Anyway, getting back on point, I think some newer fans who became interested in MLP because of the G4 show don't really get that for a lot of MLP collectors the toys are sort of "separate" from the cartoons in terms of collecting. The Newborn Cutie flash animations were roundly awful, but that doesn't matter if you happen to like the Newborn Cutie toys. They aren't intrinsically linked in my mind; you can like one but not the other.