Do you think the Brony phenomenon is good for the Toyline?

[PhyllieBean]

The bronys don't even know what blind bag ponies are G3 characters. Technically they aren't developing a whole lot of original ponies, they're taking from G3's. G3's rarely had any reminders of past generations.

I don't think bronies are good for ponies in general, especially the past generations. They drive up prices on once common ponies because people think they can make money off of them and they also drive people to customize good vintage ponies all the more often.

However, is it good in a fact that it keeps Hasbro making ponies, yes.

I think it's safe to say the Bronies have been good for the toy line, but maybe not so good for collectors. 

[Jordan]

I feel like Bronies are more interested in the Blind Bags than the non-show-accurate brushables.

Not this one. I much perfer the brushables! I think they went a little too overboard on the blindbags

I was a brony but looking back at the other toys I've become a collector of all generations n__n
I just love all generations of pones (Yes even G3/.5)

[Winter Bones]

I feel like Bronies are more interested in the Blind Bags than the non-show-accurate brushables.

Not this one. I much perfer the brushables! I think they went a little too overboard on the blindbags

I was a brony but looking back at the other toys I've become a collector of all generations n__n
I just love all generations of pones (Yes even G3/.5)

Same here. The brony fandom alerted me to MLP, but I like to focus on the toys way more than the show. I've since become interested in collecting ponies from all generations, not just G4. I don't think bronies are that bad for the older gens either. Sure, some people are ill-informed about them or are trying to cash in on the craze, but the new phenomenon can make more people develop a genuine interest in the older gens. I'm just about to embark on my first pony restoration project myself.

[BrightIdea]

More fans = more stuff! Clearly that is a good thing, unless for some reason you don't like seeing lots of merchandise and toys released.

The only bad thing I have seen happening is less unique brushables, and that is Hasbro's fault for going with the "lets release the main 6 over and over" idea.

I am super happy with any and all things that the influx of adult fans has had a part in bringing us.

[UrocyonFox]

I adore blindbags, probably a little too much but I have noticed that there are NO new brushables. And even the blindbags like wave 5 and 6 are super hard to find. You can always find shirts and stuff but never any actual ponies!!

[Galactica]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "bronies" which seems to mean different things to different people-  but if we mean  fanboys liking FiM & pony merch and the accompanying internet/blogging thing (ie Eqd) -   I'd say yes, in combination with teen/young women ALSO getting into liking ponies and FiM (a market that is growing just as fast but appears to be largely ignored for whatever reason)

The new FiM fanbase (of young men and women) have spiked sales like never before (http://seekingalpha.com/article/1171181-hasbro-is-sitting-on-a-potential-gold-mine?source=yahoo) and what does that mean?  More PONIES, and less likelihood that the series/ponies will disappear.  Hasbro (and its client base, the retail stores) don't seem to know what to do with this entirely new market share- but they will certainly keep pouring money into ponies/the cartoon/merchandise as long as it remains active and profitable- which is good.   Again- profit = more ponies.

I don't blame the bronies for the merchandise focus - that is just what Hasbro and its clients think will sell.  Case in point- Hasbro is still the license holder for Strawberry Shortcake- during the last year- NO new dolls- just stupid merchandise- and a promise of more -  merchandise.   

[hathorcat]

The G4 line started out with a nice selection of new characters. Now we hardly get any new characters and they all are based on some random background pony from the show.
I know there are some people going "but we are getting all these cool TRU ponies"!
That would be nice if it wasn't for the fact that most countries on this planet are never going to see these sets. Right now, the only new character that will actually be released here is that sun cutiemark pony. Pretty saddening.

So while i think the brony community had a positive impact on MLP as a whole (lotsa money), i do think they had a negative impact on the toyline. I feel G4 is the most boring toyline since G3.5.

The question here for me is - has the fandom as an entity influenced the toy line? For me...yes it has. As Malicieuse says here, before bronies or at least before bronies on the scale they are currently on, we had wave 2 and wave 3 of the brushable line which had 6 unique and different characters. And that barrelled right into wave 4 with another 6 new characters. This was mid to late 2011. We havent had that variety in waves ever since and for me the only change in the buying market in that time is the upsurge of an older [mostly] male fan base. Is it the fault of "bronies"? For me...no. Its the fault of Hasbro not recognising that their new market are 99.9% more likely to buy moulded hair figures, plush [although I really dont get the obsession on this one] and merch than they are the toy line.

I know the line is still geared towards little girls but there is a shift in it - lining it up much more with the cartoon than ever before. Again thats Hasbro not any adult or child's fault. Now for many that is a good thing. For me, as a toy collector and not so much a cartoon watcher, I would sometimes just prefer no show or even better a lack of loyalty between them. Why? Because that increases my chances of a wave of unique single characters and not another release of Pinkie with a bath or Twilight Alicorn/Unipeg 3 different ways.

[Wardah]

I don't blame the bronies for the merchandise focus - that is just what Hasbro and its clients think will sell.  Case in point- Hasbro is still the license holder for Strawberry Shortcake- during the last year- NO new dolls- just stupid merchandise- and a promise of more -  merchandise.   

Yeah and it's all stupid kiddie merch like petti skirts and toy furniture and pretend toys. I hope they come out with dolls soon.

[Eternia]

short answer: yes

[SwiftStar84]

 I work retail. From my perspective it's a mixed bag. I see bronies pick up plushies and blind bags as well as tons of merchandise from Hot Topic (not where I work but I do visit there often) However, it's rare for them to pick up the actual ponies themselves.  But Hasbro still makes G4s brushables of the main six repeatedly and while some get picked up the rest of the time they just pegwarm. I wish Hasbro would realize this and start making new brushables.

[Ice Crystal]

I do believe the bronies had a positive impact on the MLP franchise as a whole. MLP is doing well.
However, most bronies are interested in merch and not so much the toyline. The toyline is only deemed good when it is show accurate. And what are we seeing today? More merch than toys and more new blindbags than new brushables.
Not to mention no more characters designed by toy designers.

The G4 line started out with a nice selection of new characters. Now we hardly get any new characters and they all are based on some random background pony from the show.
I know there are some people going "but we are getting all these cool TRU ponies"!
That would be nice if it wasn't for the fact that most countries on this planet are never going to see these sets. Right now, the only new character that will actually be released here is that sun cutiemark pony. Pretty saddening.

So while i think the brony community had a positive impact on MLP as a whole (lotsa money), i do think they had a negative impact on the toyline. I feel G4 is the most boring toyline since G3.5.

Agreed.

I don't think we'd have as many plushies coming out now if it weren't for Bronies. They've been begging for plushies for so long.

I disagree on that one. G3 had lots of different plushes. (More than G4.)
So i don't think we only got bronies to thank for that.

I think we, in a way, have them to thank for the higher quality "show accurate" ones that are being released this year (Aurora, TY, etc). Bronies spend an excessive amount of money for well-done, show accurate fanmade plushies. I think Hasbro saw that and decided to cash in on it. Maybe a bit too late, but all the same. If they hadn't witnessed what a goldmine that was, I don't think we would be seeing as many nice plush toys.

[banditpony]

I don't blame the bronies for the merchandise focus - that is just what Hasbro and its clients think will sell.  Case in point- Hasbro is still the license holder for Strawberry Shortcake- during the last year- NO new dolls- just stupid merchandise- and a promise of more -  merchandise.   

AG owns Strawberry Shortcake.

I'll just modify here. :/ AG owns SSC, and yes hasbro makes toys and the tv show now. I am close to someone who helped develop one of the revamps of SSC. So it's AG's brand, and they are the ones that to decide what direction to take it-- not Hasbro. They work together on the show and the toys.

[Wardah]

I don't blame the bronies for the merchandise focus - that is just what Hasbro and its clients think will sell.  Case in point- Hasbro is still the license holder for Strawberry Shortcake- during the last year- NO new dolls- just stupid merchandise- and a promise of more -  merchandise.   

AG owns Strawberry Shortcake.

Hasbro owns the license to make dolls based on SSC.

[RAMChYLD]

Hasbro owns the license to make dolls based on SSC.

Hasbro has the "Master License" to SSC- they have the power to dictate the direction to take the franchise and all the other franchisees must oblige (although not all- a franchisee here in Malaysia is still putting out infant and toddler apparels based on the 2003 Strawberry Shortcake Baby line).

And Hasbro screwed up with how they handled SSC, plain and simple. Compared to what Bandai and other companies have been putting out back in the 2003 SSC era, Hasbro's toys were mostly bland. Compare this: Bandai made various interactive toys, including a voice-activated Apple Dumplin and several interactive Strawberry Shortcake dolls. And oh, plushes. Lots and lots of plushes. Hasbro's "interactive" toys? A R/C vehicle and a doll that only made boring sound effects. Plushes? You wish.

Additionally, Hasbro's version of the show... For reasons unknown Hasbro felt that it necessary to rip the rights for airing SSC out of the hands of Disney and put it in the hands of Cartoon Network. Guess what? Cartoon Network hates you, Hasbro! They're biased to Mattel because Mattel's holding their sister company's toy licenses (who is the sister company in question? well, who owns Batman and Superman? Correct, DC!). Does it not sound alarms that they air Justice League and Teen Titans, and more egregiously, the Barbie movies?!? Anyways, CN proceeded to air the new SSC on Boomerang, which is not available in many of the markets that SSC was popular in.

Also, the change to CGI, new personality for each of the characters and new voice cast did not go down well with many of the 2003 fans. Let's just say Strawberry's snobbishness in the Good Morning America "interview" pretty much had fans with their hands up in the air decrying Strawberry Shortcake as dead to them. The 2003 Strawberry was a kind, humble being. This... This is not Strawberry. This is a Kung-Fu Creature On the Rampage, II.

Lastly, Honey Pie Pony, Angel Cake and Ginger Snap has a large fanbase. Not bringing back Honey Pie (which Playmates threw out when they forcefully took over the toy rights from Bandai, and many fans were hoping Hasbro bring her back before they knew of Hasbro's intentions), and throwing Ginger Snap and Angel Cake off the cliff, did not go well with that fanbase.

Oh, I nearly forgot, one more thing in two words: "HuckleBeiber Pie". Hope you're prepared for the vitriol for relaunching the Huck with his personality based on he who intelligent people hate, Hasbro. Especially from fans of the 2003 Huck.

[Snapdragon]

I think the insistence that I see from some Bronies, that Hasbro needs to cater to the 'largest demographic' (supposedly Bronies) is absolutely harmful. They're essentially stealing toys from children, because as adults, they have more lobbying/buying power. I feel like, because Bronies generally prefer the blindbag/molded-hair toys, they are trying to influence Hasbro to produce more of/only those types of toys, which makes the toyline less appealing to little kids. (For example: how many new blind-bag sized toy designs did we see from the Toyfair, vs. brushables?) My Little Pony has always been a brushable-based line, and if they turn into yet-another 'small, hard-plastic toy animal' line, well, they already have Littlest Pet Shop for that, don't they? And dozens of other, less-charming lines to compete with. My Little Pony is charming BECAUSE it's a combo of hair-styling/brushing play and figure-based play. It's essentially a doll-line, for kids who maybe want something more animal-y than Barbie.

In some ways, it's good; we're getting tons more plushies now, because Hasbro has seen that Bronies will pay A LOT for good plushies! But in many ways, it's very harmful - the blind-bag vs. brushable argument seen above, but also the lack of design-variance in the line. Have you noticed, almost everything 'Brony' based we see (especially from Hot Topic) is either DJ-P0n3 or Bubblecup? For DJ we got a card box-set, multiple T-shirts, a plush backpack, a brushable toy, on and on - and I won't even try to list the amount of merch that Bubblecup has. Rarity and Applejack have been completely dropped from the Funko Pop! line, in order to make room for those two. How wrong is that? A third of the main characters of the TV show get dropped for two background characters who have three spoken lines between them?

((Don't get me wrong, I love DJ-P0n3 and Bubblecup! I just think it's weird that they're being elevated to some crazy levels of 'fame,' going by their merch sales. o.o))