The MLP Arena
Pony Talk => Pony Corral => Topic started by: NsMLPonies on July 22, 2017, 08:49:38 AM
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Hi! :)
Are the new My little ponies considered to be G4.5 or G5? Just wondering.
Also, does anyone have pics of the new ponies?
Thanks in advance!
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I wouldn't call them either of those, the change isn't that dramatic.
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I wouldn't call them either of those, the change isn't that dramatic.
I completely agree; I don't know why some people are making such a big deal out of the new molds.
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Certainly not G5, as they're the same characters and it's not a major change.
I've been calling them G4.5, to make it easier for me when referring to the new molds. I mean I could call them "the new molds" but of course they're only going to be new for so long, when they've been out for a while (or whenever we do get a G5), you wouldn't really be able to call them "new" anymore, so I think it's convenient to have the G4.5 term.
While this mold change is nowhere near as drastic as the change from G3 to G3.5, I still think G4.5 is a good term for it.
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I've been saying "G4 reboot" or "G4.5". Calling them G5 makes no sense, they're the same characters and still basically the same style (heck I'm still on the fence whether or not I think they're different enough to be called "G4.5")... imo they're not a different gen unless they look dramatically different. If that makes sense.
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I call the new molds G4.5 because like G3.5, stores are just selling the new mold toys (correct me if I'm wrong - the stores near me are only selling G4.5 now). Also like G3.5, it's the same characters, just different molds :)
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Neither. It's not drastic enough for that. Though some people are calling them reboot moulds.
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G4 Reboot or G4.5 or G4 Movie Version... I really haven't been calling them anything lol but they are not G5 due to the face it's still in the FiM realm..
G3.5 was technically a reboot if you think about it.. new molds but pretty much the same cast.. and yes they were a big change in the molds.
With the FiM ponies it's new molds but same cast.. Some say it's not a drastic enough change but it's still a change. Even the heads were remolded, they didn't use any of the old molds for these.
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Well someone pointed out that G1 had some drastic design changes in the SHS and Dream Beauties and they didn't get called G1.5. I agree with them, so that's why I personally don't call them that.
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Hmm, even though G1 had drastic changes with SHS and Dream Beauties, regular G1s were still being sold when SHS and all the other differently molded sets were out, so G1 hadn't really gone into G1.5. On the other hand, only the new molds are being made and sold now (correct me if I'm wrong, my local stores are only selling the new toys), so it's like G3.5, when they altogether stopped the G3 molds and we were into a new gen. Do we know if Hasbro will go back to the old molds after the movie? Because if the do, G4 will resume, and having a generation inside a generation doesn't make sense ^.^
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That's also a compelling point Safflower. I'm not sure if they're replacing the old ones or not.
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Actually, SHS were still in the same style as normal G1s so they would not really fall into the .5 range
Dream Beauties were not actually MLPs, granted they were probably marketed as kind of as such but I feel they were trying to compete with realistic horse toys
I do think the reboot G4 molds are replacing the old ones, it makes no sense for Hasbro to make so many newer released then just go back to the old molds after a year.
Also I guess I rescind what I said before because the reboots are close to the same style as the older G4s but still reboots.
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It would be a little awkward if there were a second "reboot"...Would we call it G4.75? :P
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It would be a little awkward if there were a second "reboot"...Would we call it G4.75? :P
If they did another reboot I would call it MLP redonkulous XD
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It would be a little awkward if there were a second "reboot"...Would we call it G4.75? :P
If they did another reboot I would call it MLP redonkulous XD
This is some thing to think about. And wouldn't the same argument for calling it "new" also apply to calling it "reboot"? Every redesign is a "reboot". Unless in later generations it is always qualified with the G4 moniker, I.e. The G4 reboot. But in that case G4.5 is just faster type. That may be the deciding factor in the end.
Also, some people are saying this isn't G5 because it's the same cast. But Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, Rainbow Bright, TMNT, etc, all have multiple "generations" but the same cast. And I suspect that Hasbro is not going to let go of this cast even when G5 does come around.
Don't get me wrong, this is clearly not G5 if only because FIM has become such a driving force behind this generation that I can't see labeling anything as g5 until FIM is over.
So I guess my criteria for labeling something G5 would be a whole line redesign that happens after FiM is over.
Edited to add additional thoughts****
I also think there is a difference between this redesign and the Sweetheart Sisters (Dream Beauties were a whole nother line). A: SHS were marketed as teenage ponies not redesigned adult ponies. B: Hasbro conveniently gave them their own label we could call them by and C: non of the SHS were rereleases of old characters. If I want a specific SHS, I can just refer to her by name.
With this current redesign, if I come on the board and say I'm looking to purchase a specific Fluttershy then I have to go through a whole list of descriptors to make sure I get the one I want.
I don't know what the solution is. Maybe just use pose names? But then we all have to agree on pose names.
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It would be a little awkward if there were a second "reboot"...Would we call it G4.75? :P
If they did another reboot I would call it MLP redonkulous XD
Only if they revamp the line to actual pastel donkeys and mules...and demon donkeys. :biggrin:
Post Merge: July 22, 2017, 07:14:25 PM
It would be a little awkward if there were a second "reboot"...Would we call it G4.75? :P
If they did another reboot I would call it MLP redonkulous XD
This is some thing to think about. And wouldn't the same argument for calling it "new" also apply to calling it "reboot"? Every redesign is a "reboot". Unless in later generations it is always qualified with the G4 moniker, I.e. The G4 reboot. But in that case G4.5 is just faster type. That may be the deciding factor in the end.
Also, some people are saying this isn't G5 because it's the same cast. But Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, Rainbow Bright, TMNT, etc, all have multiple "generations" but the same cast. And I suspect that Hasbro is not going to let go of this cast even when G5 does come around.
Don't get me wrong, this is clearly not G5 if only because FIM has become such a driving force behind this generation that I can't see labeling anything as g5 until FIM is over.
So I guess my criteria for labeling something G5 would be a whole line redesign that happens after FiM is over.
Edited to add additional thoughts****
I also think there is a difference between this redesign and the Sweetheart Sisters (Dream Beauties were a whole nother line). A: SHS were marketed as teenage ponies not redesigned adult ponies. B: Hasbro conveniently gave them their own label we could call them by and C: non of the SHS were rereleases of old characters. If I want a specific SHS, I can just refer to her by name.
With this current redesign, if I come on the board and say I'm looking to purchase a specific Fluttershy then I have to go through a whole list of descriptors to make sure I get the one I want.
I don't know what the solution is. Maybe just use pose names? But then we all have to agree on pose names.
Would that make the slimmer ponies of RaMC teenage ponies? :silly: :wonder:
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Well someone pointed out that G1 had some drastic design changes in the SHS and Dream Beauties and they didn't get called G1.5. I agree with them, so that's why I personally don't call them that.
I was going to point this out too. And let's not forget the introduction of the Pony Bride mold. So even back then the move was toward slimmer designs. Gee, just like they're doing today!
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But the Pony Bride, SHS, etc were in addition to the regular G1 molds - not in replacement of them. G3.5 replaced G3, so it got a different designation. If they suddenly go back to using the old G4 molds then I agree that these reboot ponies probably don't need a different name. But right now, it really doesn't look like that'll be the case :s
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But the Pony Bride, SHS, etc were in addition to the regular G1 molds - not in replacement of them. G3.5 replaced G3, so it got a different designation. If they suddenly go back to using the old G4 molds then I agree that these reboot ponies probably don't need a different name. But right now, it really doesn't look like that'll be the case :s
I agree. I believe for it to be another generation (or a half generation) the new toys have to replace the old - which is what the reboot toys are probably doing.
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G4 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The only real reason they would be called something else is because they're replacing the old molds. But unlike G3.5, it's not a different design at all, just different molds. Nothing else is notably different.
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I think it might be better to firmly label the new style after the line ends, if that makes sense...
I personally think a new generation overall requires a new setting/style/concept completely. This TV series has not changed between the old and new moulds, they have just updated those moulds, so it is not G5. I am not bothered by G4.5 as a suggestion, it makes sense to me but it bothers some people. There isn't a case for G1.5 for me because G1 came before the G label happened, and we didn't need those labels until G3 came out, so there never has been any division. And as others have said, new styles went alongside old ones.
If Hasbro go back to old moulds then these new style ones are just new poses within the same generation. If everything from now till the end of the line is in this style, then when it ends there's a case for G4.5. Right now we just don't know.
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I agree it's hard to label these for sure until after the line ends. We're not sure if these molds are replacing the other ones or if they are for the movie releases. Definitely not G5 in my opinion since it's the same characters and pony universe. G4.5 is convenient to me to have something to call them to make identification easier. I also consider a .5 to be the same generation but new molds so that fits nicely in my head. I know the change isn't drastic but it's still a change so I see why many want a designation for it.
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I think it might be better to firmly label the new style after the line ends, if that makes sense...
I personally think a new generation overall requires a new setting/style/concept completely. This TV series has not changed between the old and new moulds, they have just updated those moulds, so it is not G5. I am not bothered by G4.5 as a suggestion, it makes sense to me but it bothers some people. There isn't a case for G1.5 for me because G1 came before the G label happened, and we didn't need those labels until G3 came out, so there never has been any division. And as others have said, new styles went alongside old ones.
If Hasbro go back to old moulds then these new style ones are just new poses within the same generation. If everything from now till the end of the line is in this style, then when it ends there's a case for G4.5. Right now we just don't know.
I've been thinking about this, too. I wasn't around at the time but from what I've seen, there was this exact same debate with G3.5 - is it G3.5 or G4 or what. And then G4 came along and that was it, the debate was over, G3.5 was G3.5 and G4 was G4. If that makes sense. I'm betting it'll be much the same this time round, too.. sure looks that way so far ^^;.
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G4 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The only real reason they would be called something else is because they're replacing the old molds. But unlike G3.5, it's not a different design at all, just different molds. Nothing else is notably different.
This is how I feel too. The designs are essentially the same.
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Personally, I will label them properly after the line ends, but for now they're 'the new moulds' to me. I don't collect them, so I'm kind of really hoping they become G4.5, so I can say I don't collect '.5' gens, as I don't collect G3.5 either, and that would be nice and tidy!
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While 'new mould' is a bit of a mouthful I do call them that, as well as 'reboots' and 'G4.5', I'm not fussy.
I don't think of them as G5, and I think until G5 happens we won't actually have an official term for them. At this point it's unlikely Hasbro will go back to the old moulds, so they're not strictly 'Movie Moulds', but who knows... Hasbro might reboot the series after the movie into something with a vastly different style but same or spinoff characters, something more recognisably G4.5 but still not G5. I don't see FiM ending anytime soon to make way for a fresh and unique generation.
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The .5 concept was established with the G3.5 line, and I think the same circumstances are here. We've got the same characters, but a new design that seems to be replacing the old toys. G3.5 had the same characters and a new design replacing the old. In the box, and even in some photos, the "G4.5" ponies don't look *all* that different, but they really are. There is a very significant design shift here. I was surprised how big a shift when I finally opened one. Maybe it's not as drastic as the G3 to G3.5 design shift, but I feel it's enough to call it a half generation.
While I do agree that a finalized "official" designation should happen after the line is complete, G3.5 was called that pretty much as soon as the ponies were originally revealed. I think G4.5 is a good placeholder until the line is complete, and it can either be revised or confirmed when the full scope of the line is known.
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Only if they revamp the line to actual pastel donkeys and mules...and demon donkeys. :biggrin:
I'd get behind My Little Donkey. 100%.
I believe we're all dancing around the obvious: these are the "bubble-head" molds. Well they are.
I think it's pretty clear these are intended to be the style of the movie, and the packaging of many of them says "my little pony movie". I think the movie style is going to replace the old molds entirely and I am a little afraid as to whether the next season of FiM will still be in Flash or might even be in Toon Boom in the movie style. I plan to enjoy the movie with its crazy overactive new style but i want my show as it has been. The toys are probably not going backwards though, and judging from 1) the long distribution of the old molds and 2) the amount of movie hype, I think the "movie" style molds are going to be here for a while after the movie.
While there are still plenty of the old molds around in my stores, they've been the same Applejack/Rainbow Dash/Fluttershy/Pinky almost exclusively in the bins for so many months that I think they are just pushing old stock until it's gone and the pearly 2-packs are down to like 2 pairs and are on markdown. Those of you who like the old molds for customs etc, stock up now, we might not see these anymore. As much as I lamented the "show inaccuracy" of the old molds at first, I was just getting used to them and I regret complaining about them now. They were boring, but they weren't, well, like these movie molds. At first glance i thought they were like Guardians of Harmony molds, which I find to be very nice, but they aren't and aside from one or two of them, most haven't grown on me.
Absolutely not G5. That's a new show that will form in the aftermath of the fall of society as we know it when FiM is over. I wonder if we will remember how to mold plastic in the New World, or if ponies will be wooden in G5, carved with stone knives.
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I've been calling them G4 Reboot because I remember the G3.5 line wasn't just a change in molds or packaing, it was an entire re-branding of the characters, a completely new art style, new cartoons and the bodies were drastically altered. Like they were solid with HUGE heads nothing at all like the current ponies. All the new toys were based on new illustrations and cartoons but had similar characters.
The change in G4 isn't as drastic b/c the toys are actually meant to look more like the original characters, not something completely new. Also, with the exception of the movie shading and style, the original cartoon is not changing and the art style on the boxes isn't that drastic.
We can all agree it's not G5 ... at all. But G4.5 vs G4 Reboot remains to be seen. I think and believes it's G4 Reboot but i wouldn't be upset if G4.5 was adapted.
Maybe we need a different name for them besides G4 Reboot that everyone likes? (I think G4.5 is too extreme).
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I've been calling them G4 Reboot because I remember the G3.5 line wasn't just a change in molds or packaing, it was an entire re-branding of the characters, a completely new art style, new cartoons and the bodies were drastically altered. Like they were solid with HUGE heads nothing at all like the current ponies. All the new toys were based on new illustrations and cartoons but had similar characters.
The change in G4 isn't as drastic b/c the toys are actually meant to look more like the original characters, not something completely new. Also, with the exception of the movie shading and style, the original cartoon is not changing and the art style on the boxes isn't that drastic.
We can all agree it's not G5 ... at all. But G4.5 vs G4 Reboot remains to be seen. I think and believes it's G4 Reboot but i wouldn't be upset if G4.5 was adapted.
Maybe we need a different name for them besides G4 Reboot that everyone likes? (I think G4.5 is too extreme).
How about G4.2. :P. I'm only partially kidding.
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I've been calling them G4 Reboot because I remember the G3.5 line wasn't just a change in molds or packaing, it was an entire re-branding of the characters, a completely new art style, new cartoons and the bodies were drastically altered. Like they were solid with HUGE heads nothing at all like the current ponies. All the new toys were based on new illustrations and cartoons but had similar characters.
The change in G4 isn't as drastic b/c the toys are actually meant to look more like the original characters, not something completely new. Also, with the exception of the movie shading and style, the original cartoon is not changing and the art style on the boxes isn't that drastic.
We can all agree it's not G5 ... at all. But G4.5 vs G4 Reboot remains to be seen. I think and believes it's G4 Reboot but i wouldn't be upset if G4.5 was adapted.
Maybe we need a different name for them besides G4 Reboot that everyone likes? (I think G4.5 is too extreme).
How about G4.2. :P. I'm only partially kidding.
Lol
I was thinking about other things taht have generations like Corvettes. When things change in a generation they have Late vs Early or they have special named items like Bubble Back.
Sometimes I do refer to things in G1 as late vs early (because of the change in style) but it is to hard say this is Late G4 until we know when the end is. For now I think we should just stick to G4 (reboot or movie)
Some suggestions:
Reboot
Redesign
New Body
Movie Style
Cartoon Style
Character Style (because they have all these different poses)
(What is that word for when something is just like the cartoon in terms of the way it looks >.>)
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I think 4.1 would actually be better. It's not a drastic change like 3.5 and leaves room in case there's another slight shift within the generation.
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The way I have defined this for myself is G4.5. The reason I made this decision was based on the changes in the line that I do not feel will return to the original design. It doesn't not make sense that they make all these mold changes and then go back to the original molds. No, I really feel they will keep evolving or just die out and G5 will appear. So, I can understand people waiting, but for me it looks like a done deal in the making. I really feel these changes to the molds are more than just minor adjustments. They have changed the way the ponies look a lot. My opinion. I was never a huge G4 fan but, these new molds are making me feel the same way I did when I watched G3 disappear and G3.5 appear. G1 had a long run and they were still making the original molds while adding new ones so I don't feel there ever was a G1.5. I also remember how I felt when I walked down the isles and saw G1 being replaced with G2. It was the same sad feeling for me because, I loved G1 and could not relate to G2. I like them more now as they have grown on me with time.
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tulagirl, that is a sad truth. Each generation must end and if we are fortunate, another begin.
This is my first generation of pony and while I am now in love with all the generations, the whole thing is still very new to me and I am not ready to move on to G5 just yet. Fortunately for me, there is a little bit of G4 lifespan remaining and whatever we call it and no matter what is done to it along the way, I plan to relish it as long as it lasts...even if I whine about the latest designs.
As long as FiM remains currently produced, the toys are not yet G5. If we call these 4.5 and get seven more revisions we may end up with 4.9756236579 but for now 4.5 seems pretty well accepted and I think it's most accurate to say "movie version". For now I think we understand each other well enough whatever we call them, and that is sufficient.
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The way I have defined this for myself is G4.5. The reason I made this decision was based on the changes in the line that I do not feel will return to the original design. It doesn't not make sense that they make all these mold changes and then go back to the original molds. No, I really feel they will keep evolving or just die out and G5 will appear. So, I can understand people waiting, but for me it looks like a done deal in the making. I really feel these changes to the molds are more than just minor adjustments. They have changed the way the ponies look a lot. My opinion. I was never a huge G4 fan but, these new molds are making me feel the same way I did when I watched G3 disappear and G3.5 appear. G1 had a long run and they were still making the original molds while adding new ones so I don't feel there ever was a G1.5. I also remember how I felt when I walked down the isles and saw G1 being replaced with G2. It was the same sad feeling for me because, I loved G1 and could not relate to G2. I like them more now as they have grown on me with time.
Why 4.5 instead of 4.1? And come to think of it why was it 3.5 instead of 3.1? It was the first time it veered off from the original version after all.
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3.5, because there's only 2 parts to the generation. If it didn't divide evenly into 10, or had 10 offshoots, then you would call it 3.1, 3.2, etc... but because it's like saying 3-and-a-half, you say 3.5. It's the way it works with classifications sometimes. (For example, if there were 5 different shapes for G3, they'd be G3, G3.2, G3.4, G3.6 & G3.8, because 5 divides into 10. Your new gen would then be G4, as usual.)
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I genuinely think it doesn't matter so much at this point because we don't know where Hasbro are going with this generation. You could I suppose term them G4-Movie (G4M) and see what happens from then on.
I find it irritating when people want to slap division terms on G1 because of the whole G label thing not existing till G3 and even then the idea of a sub generation ddn't happen until Hasbro did weird things with G3 that necessitated it. My point in raising that is that we managed for around ten years after the end of G1 without needing to even call them G1, so any subdivisions now would be forcing new pony concepts on old ponies and I have issues with that on all scales (like the term cutie mark, brony, etc).
BUT I do think that G4 has to be determined on its own terms and based entirely on its own evolution, not necessarily other generation rules, because that makes as little sense.
I personally think G4.5 is applicable IF this turns out to be the permanent change of the line up until it ends, but we won't know that till it does end. G3 was simple really in that regard but we don't know where Hasbro might take these ponies yet.
Going back to a case in point, we didn't call G1 G1 when G2 came out because we didn't know then that there would be a G3 or a G4. There were only old ponies and new ponies. And we don't know at this point if there will be a completely different G5 or if there won't. So firm labelling makes sense only when we know what is or isn't coming next. I actually think that with FIM being so successful, if this one dies, we may see the end of MLP because Hasbro will find it hard to beat...but it also might mean that G4 rivals G1 in terms of longevity and ultimately, variety.
So judging it for itself makes the most sense, and to do so when it's done.
But please, let's not try and assign newer pony class divisions to G1 and G2 where they don't belong. This isn't about G1, G2 or even really G3. It's about G4 itself and that's where the focus needs to stay.
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I genuinely think it doesn't matter so much at this point because we don't know where Hasbro are going with this generation. You could I suppose term them G4-Movie (G4M) and see what happens from then on.
I find it irritating when people want to slap division terms on G1 because of the whole G label thing not existing till G3 and even then the idea of a sub generation ddn't happen until Hasbro did weird things with G3 that necessitated it. My point in raising that is that we managed for around ten years after the end of G1 without needing to even call them G1, so any subdivisions now would be forcing new pony concepts on old ponies and I have issues with that on all scales (like the term cutie mark, brony, etc).
BUT I do think that G4 has to be determined on its own terms and based entirely on its own evolution, not necessarily other generation rules, because that makes as little sense.
I personally think G4.5 is applicable IF this turns out to be the permanent change of the line up until it ends, but we won't know that till it does end. G3 was simple really in that regard but we don't know where Hasbro might take these ponies yet.
Going back to a case in point, we didn't call G1 G1 when G2 came out because we didn't know then that there would be a G3 or a G4. There were only old ponies and new ponies. And we don't know at this point if there will be a completely different G5 or if there won't. So firm labelling makes sense only when we know what is or isn't coming next. I actually think that with FIM being so successful, if this one dies, we may see the end of MLP because Hasbro will find it hard to beat...but it also might mean that G4 rivals G1 in terms of longevity and ultimately, variety.
So judging it for itself makes the most sense, and to do so when it's done.
But please, let's not try and assign newer pony class divisions to G1 and G2 where they don't belong. This isn't about G1, G2 or even really G3. It's about G4 itself and that's where the focus needs to stay.
I can agree with a lot of your post, Taffeta. But I'll respectfully disagree with the assessment that ponies will end if/when G4 dies. The very fact that g4 is so successful guaranties that Hasbro is going to keep trying to catch that ring. I think it would take a couple generations of failed gens before they would give up.
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G4.1 is confusing to me.. it sounds like 'the first version of G4s' which is what G4s are. It doesn't read clearly enough. G4.5 makes way more sense.
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I agree that G4.1 sounds like the first version. I know technically that it's 4.0 then 4.1. But still.... If it were up to me it would be G4.1 when talking about first molds, G4.2 when talking about "reboot" and that still leaves room for more changes later and just G4 when talking about the gen as a whole.
But, eh, as someone else said, as long as we all know what each other is talking about I guess whatever we call them is fine for now.
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I genuinely think it doesn't matter so much at this point because we don't know where Hasbro are going with this generation. You could I suppose term them G4-Movie (G4M) and see what happens from then on.
I find it irritating when people want to slap division terms on G1 because of the whole G label thing not existing till G3 and even then the idea of a sub generation ddn't happen until Hasbro did weird things with G3 that necessitated it. My point in raising that is that we managed for around ten years after the end of G1 without needing to even call them G1, so any subdivisions now would be forcing new pony concepts on old ponies and I have issues with that on all scales (like the term cutie mark, brony, etc).
BUT I do think that G4 has to be determined on its own terms and based entirely on its own evolution, not necessarily other generation rules, because that makes as little sense.
I personally think G4.5 is applicable IF this turns out to be the permanent change of the line up until it ends, but we won't know that till it does end. G3 was simple really in that regard but we don't know where Hasbro might take these ponies yet.
Going back to a case in point, we didn't call G1 G1 when G2 came out because we didn't know then that there would be a G3 or a G4. There were only old ponies and new ponies. And we don't know at this point if there will be a completely different G5 or if there won't. So firm labelling makes sense only when we know what is or isn't coming next. I actually think that with FIM being so successful, if this one dies, we may see the end of MLP because Hasbro will find it hard to beat...but it also might mean that G4 rivals G1 in terms of longevity and ultimately, variety.
So judging it for itself makes the most sense, and to do so when it's done.
But please, let's not try and assign newer pony class divisions to G1 and G2 where they don't belong. This isn't about G1, G2 or even really G3. It's about G4 itself and that's where the focus needs to stay.
:iconclap: :iconclap: :iconclap: :iconclap: :iconclap:
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We must all never say that MLP will end. That is too tragic a thought to consider. I do think each generation that comes and goes will be different from the first. I really feel that MLP can still come up with new and exciting lines. FIM ending will not the end of MLP. This is my hope. No matter what we all think it should be called, a shift has taken place in the line and a few new things are on the horizon. We will see where this goes for sure. I look forward to the future of MLP. As the needs and interests of young people change toy lines change. It is fascinating to watch toy history take place. It is nice to be able to note changes through a generation label whatever that may be for reference only. It just makes things easier.
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MLP will definitely not end when G4 dies. The property has been massively successful three different times: in the 80s (G1), in the early 2000s (G3), and in the present (G4). (And G2 was successful in Europe, even if it didn't take off in the US.)
If it were only G4 then Hasbro might wonder if it was a fluke, but MLP has generated sooo much revenue for them over a span of decades. I remember in Hasbro's yearly review after the first G3 ponies came out, Hasbro was stunned at how well they sold. I think MLP will become similar to Transformers, a franchise that is constantly getting toys, merchandise, and reboots. Some Transformers toylines / shows are great and some aren't, but regardless they are always 'there'. (Let's just . . . ignore the Bayverse movies, okay? Ugh.)
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No it won't be the end. What I'm really afraid of is that g4 ended good design and quality control forever. Greasy hair, discolored plastic, factory creases, harsh, poisonous, chemical smells, displaced eyes and symbols. Hasbro sucks. G3 was the last gen to look like a horse and not have consistent issues right out of the box.
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G3 was notorious for having QC issues out of the box. Like when I bought Star Catcher she had huge gouges out of her plastic on her non-display side.
But the worst one I personally experienced was the Spring Basket ponies (Wishawhirl etc) having their tail held in by big ol' clumps of glue, and the glue came a little way out the tail hole. And the glue had dried into sharp spikes. Sharp enough that I ended up bleeding all over my new ponies. I've often wondered if they got angry letters about that, because it's the only time I've seen a QC issue that was an actual danger. I bought a bunch of Spring Baskets, BTW (I needed that dark blue hair of Wishawhirl's for customizing, lol) and multiple ponies had the problem, so it wasn't a "one-off" thing.
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G3 was notorious for having QC issues out of the box. Like when I bought Star Catcher she had huge gouges out of her plastic on her non-display side.
But the worst one I personally experienced was the Spring Basket ponies (Wishawhirl etc) having their tail held in by big ol' clumps of glue, and the glue came a little way out the tail hole. And the glue had dried into sharp spikes. Sharp enough that I ended up bleeding all over my new ponies. I've often wondered if they got angry letters about that, because it's the only time I've seen a QC issue that was an actual danger. I bought a bunch of Spring Baskets, BTW (I needed that dark blue hair of Wishawhirl's for customizing, lol) and multiple ponies had the problem, so it wasn't a "one-off" thing.
I never had any issues with our ponies, but I'll take your word on it.
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I never had any problems with G3 ponies out of the box. I have many many and they are all fine. The only G3 problem I do have is the glittery ponies melted quite fast and ate their own glitter. That is just wrong!!! LOL I have seen that same glue problem in a few G1's though. lol So, yea it happens, not sure why they put glue on the tails but that is a MLP Mystery. :lol:
I agree about the quality control problems with G4, but I think this is a standard across many toys brands. In general things are made so cheaply now. The clothing is not even fabric but a mixture of plastics and glittered paper or flocked plastic products. I blame the complaining about prices and the lack of money people want to spend on toys that causes this trend. In 2050 My Little Pony might be a holographic projection of a pony and that is your toy. LOL In a green society if you don't have an object then you don't have trash. baaaaa
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In terms of MLP ending or not - saying they never will is fan optimism. Hasbro are capable of doing anything that they consider profitable and we don't know yet where G4 will end. But they will get as much out of this gen as they can, after which, who knows. I don't like the mentality of expecting another generation. We've been pretty spoiled, but there's also no guarantee what comes next will be good. I mean, a lot of good and bad things came because of G4. I think we just have to play each generation by ear and see how it turns out.
I'm a G1 collector and G1 is still alive and not ended in terms of my interest despite being terminated by Hasbro more than 20 years ago. We don't need MLP in the shops for MLP to 'last' or 'continue'. The point I was making was that a toy company does not think like a collector or a fan. Yes, they've made gains out of MLP, but they have also had losses. They cut G2 in the US very fast because people complained about it. They ended G1 in the first place. We cannot guarantee what they are thinking about MLP overall. Our idea of MLP and I hope, the affection for it will go on forever. But I am not assuming anything. If we get it, great. if not, then we don't. Either way until we get to that point, we don't know what to call these newer style of ponies in a way that isn't disputed -which is what my post was really addressing.
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Oh I don't think it'll go on forever, but it's still pretty profitable for Hasbro.
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Oh yeah, whether we get anything WE like is up for debate, definitely. Like who knows, maybe the next iteration will be extreme chibi modern LPS style and the ponies will only neigh instead of talking, or who knows what. Hasbro is mostly interested in what today's kids want, not what collectors (or bronies) want. There are a lot more MLPs being bought for little kids than for adults.
Hasbro didn't cut G2 short in the US because people complained about it, but because it didn't sell. Believe me, Transformers Beast Wars (which debuted at the same time as G2 MLP) had a muuuuch bigger fan backlash. But Beast Wars sold well among kids, so it continued on.
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I think the whole generation thing is mildly pointless unless you're a outsider. The only other real purpose it serves for long time MLP fans is to know which pony you're talking about if it has the same name. If you're talking about Sundance or Moondancer, it ain't gonna take long for me to know which pony you're talking about if you take out G(putyournumberhere).
So for me the whole generational naming of stuff is really pointless, especially with G4 - It's probably PinkiePie, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbowcrash, Fluttershy or the big TS...maybe someone needs G markers on that but it generally feels more like the only people that really need it are the people who've only hung around for a couple years and don't know the difference. Plus the whole G thing started when Hasbro was naming ponies the same thing back before every person on the planet had a digital camera to put pictures on line. Now I can actually SEE a pony I want to buy, at that point, I'm gonna know which Sundance we're talking about...
If I was having a conversation with say, Taffeta, more than likely we're not gonna need a lot of fanspeakterms and .5 labels to know what pony talking about where MLP is concerned.
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Rainbow Crash
Well I think there is still ambiguity as to which pony we're talking about when it has the same name and in this case the molds are still the same ponies so having some kind of well-understood label does narrow down the possibilities without having to add a lot of extra words.
However I think it doesn't really matter which label because any of the ones being thrown around here are well understood, but it does provide a pretext to talk about the new ponies vs the old in a context of all ponies before them and we do love to talk about ponies yes?
Oh yes and holographic ponies = no. I can't fondle them. It would close the gap between the show and the toys somewhat though....
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Rainbow Crash
Well I think there is still ambiguity as to which pony we're talking about when it has the same name and in this case the molds are still the same ponies so having some kind of well-understood label does narrow down the possibilities without having to add a lot of extra words.
However I think it doesn't really matter which label because any of the ones being thrown around here are well understood, but it does provide a pretext to talk about the new ponies vs the old in a context of all ponies before them and we do love to talk about ponies yes?
Oh yes and holographic ponies = no. I can't fondle them. It would close the gap between the show and the toys somewhat though....
It usually depends on how you view the MLP brand as a whole.
Friendship is Magic enthusiasts who do not partake of the full history of MLP have/had a tendency to label MLP by the cartoon only. So they would actually call MLP Tales cartoon G2.
So on some level if a person doesn't actually know the history of MLP, they're even going to get the G labels incorrect. I remember actually having a argument with a FIM fan that Tales was not G2 it was part of G1...so there is clearly a difference in even how 'some' in the fandom label the actual generations that has nothing to do with the toy.
So the labels sometimes don't really help the poorly educated.
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Yes I've seen the G2 label misunderstood by FiM fans, and even more so by those who try to analyze the entire MLP topic who don't care or know anything about it.
The difference between ignorance and being uninformed is the willingness to accept new information, and those who refuse to accept new information are a waste of time to argue with.
It's self-evident that Tales is not G2 because the Tales ponies as toys are distinctly different from the toys that are well-accepted as G2s. There is no G2 cartoon (clearly resolving which lens Hasbro views its creation through: the toys), and those who misunderstand this issue have an opportunity to learn from having it explained to them...and with the new knowledge maybe discover the joys of the earlier generations. It's important not to give up on those individuals no matter how infuriating it is to deal with the other kind because the only way to know which are which is to delve into that frustrating area of conversation.
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I think the whole generation thing is mildly pointless unless you're a outsider. The only other real purpose it serves for long time MLP fans is to know which pony you're talking about if it has the same name. If you're talking about Sundance or Moondancer, it ain't gonna take long for me to know which pony you're talking about if you take out G(putyournumberhere).
Something that is a lot more problematic with the US line than the UK one ;) Even in G2 Sundance in the UK is officially (at first at least) Sunsparkle.
I tend to agree with you though. The G labels are convenient but I think they help more the people who have come in after all the generations have begun to pile up and thus need a way to distinguish them while they get to know what they like and don't like among the old stuff. That whole thing about the animation being the way some fans term lines I've heard before, too. But that goes back to what I was saying above, about disliking newer concepts being imposed on older generations. I use the G labels here a fair bit (which has been annoying now my keyboard doesn't type 1, 2 or 3) but I don't really feel like I need them in terms of my collecting. But I can see that anyone trying to get to grips with collecting MLP from G4 going back would find them useful. I also notice that I tend to use G4 rather than FIM as a label.
Uni, we managed in a world without labels and when people still had to shove their ponies on their scanners to get images. How did we do that again? XD.
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I use the G labels quite a bit, especially in the case of shared names (Moondancer being a good example here.. with at least 3 generations having a Moondancer. I was trying to find a pony name that has been used in all 4 generations but I cannot think of any on the top of my head xD.. oh and apparently one non-mlp line has a Moon Dancer too lol)
Though with the Moondancer example really as far as toys only 2 generations had a pony toy with that name XD
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I use the G labels quite a bit, especially in the case of shared names (Moondancer being a good example here.. with at least 3 generations having a Moondancer. I was trying to find a pony name that has been used in all 4 generations but I cannot think of any on the top of my head xD.. oh and apparently one non-mlp line has a Moon Dancer too lol)
Though with the Moondancer example really as far as toys only 2 generations had a pony toy with that name XD
There is a blind bag coming of Moondancer for G4. And I still hold out hope for a brushable.
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Uni, we managed in a world without labels and when people still had to shove their ponies on their scanners to get images. How did we do that again? XD.
haha! ye old scanned flat ponies...ah the good old days.
How did we do it? Hum, probably what made it easier is there were not say, 50 different BowTie that look exactly alike as there are with a pony like Pinkie Pie. There were very clear defined sets with a certain number of ponies (usually 6). There were not a bunch of other companies (Funko) making actual MLP like ponies, that Hasbro licensed out to where you had to figure out...jez how much of this crap do I actually need in my life of the same exact pony.
I wouldn't call it easier back then in the 80's...heck it took me a long time to have to wait for the internet so I could get the rest of the adult sea ponies. Once ponies were no longer in stores, good luck on finding them. You were usually SOL unless you happened to find one at someone's yard sale years later and good luck on finding it in good condition. There was no ebay or internet where collectors could mass together.
I think it was perhaps simpler to collect back in the original MLP days. The line itself felt far more streamline than it does now, as in you knew what you were getting and there wasn't a billion other products produced by numerous companies, let alone hasbro with its various different stuff like Equestria Girls now, Chibi Equestria Girls, now pony 'action figures' and whatever else they're producing. Frankly I think they're overproducing it out way to much where it's becoming overload...
At this pony it just feels like it is too much stuff and I honestly don't want all of it :/ I've even almost come to the point where again I'm actually considering unloading a lot of the newerstuff and selling it.
But back to the point...how did we do it? We I think are probably as obsessed with the toy as some of the newer fans are obsessed with the Friendship is Magic cartoon. Not the weird bits where you have to cover your eyes and run from web searches. I think it was more like when we saw that backcard the first time and saw all the beautiful ponies, hasbro did a good job on telling us we needed to collect them all.
Hasbro has become more about pushing a bunch of junk...lets just make a lot of 'stuff'. But back in the day and when you look at the original line of MLP and how they were marketed. It really was more about 'collecting' ponies. It really was a collection opposed to a toy that kids will play with for 10 minutes and get bored with it.
In terms of longevity and success, the original line seems more lasting in my opinion. Whereas a lot of the different lines that have come after don't feel that way to me. Especially the newest MLP line, FIM just feels like a lot more stuff, but it doesn't feel quite like the original toy to me.
I don't know if that makes sense but meh, I haven't had breakfast yet, am probably rambling. ;)
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G1 was definitely marketed as a collection, because they really did push the collect them all mentality and in the UK at least the packaging in the early 90s all said "classic collection" or "baby collection" on them as well. I think maybe there's a lot to that as well. Plus I suppose G3 and G4 are necessary terms for ponies like Dash and Pinkie who cross generations but are a little different in each incarnation.
I joined ebay to buy an adult sea pony (y3) as it was the first one I ever saw ever. They were in the factfile but I didn't think they really existed after no luck at carboot sales finding any other than the UK 3. But there she was, Sea Breeze in her beautiful stuck-on-a-scanner style.
Makes me think that technology and sheer amount of stuff (not just in terms of actual product but media relating to product) has exploded so much more with the later generations that terminology and labels have become more needed, as you say. It's a way to keep some control of what is clearly hard to keep track of. Ironically it's more difficult to keep track of all the G4 stuff because you don't have (often) inserts or backcards advertising all the line available. People have to rely much more on sites like MLPMerch or forums like this for their infomation about what is out or coming out, or social media stuff from Hasbro's toy fair booths which in the distant past would never have been transmitted like it is now.
I guess labels became necessary with the transferance of how we get our information from the point where the toy company created an information network via packages, stories and inserts to inform kids to a point where the fans are having to piece together all the bits themselves.
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Well said KarentheUnicorn . Especially about Hasbro pushing junk.
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I was trying to find a pony name that has been used in all 4 generations but I cannot think of any on the top of my head xD..
Star Swirl and Cupcake have been used in all gens :)