Should This Be The End?

[PrincessRoyalBlue]

I keep hearing people saying that G4 should have been the last generation because they thought it was the best gen yet, or that it should end at G4.5 or G5. I, however, think that MLP should continue on, another gen to another, and never end! (Or at least not end for a while. ) I'm curious to see what new gens would be like. What do you think?

[banditpony]

I don't see why it should be.

If someone doesn't like what the MLP franchise is currently -- that's ok. But that doesn't mean it should stop because other people will enjoy the current and future versions.

[LadyAmalthea]

I don't really care. If it ends, I can still find joy in collecting vintage ponies. If it keeps going and I like the designs, I'll collect them, too. If I don't like them, I can ignore it and let others enjoy it.

[kingluke]

Well, my little pony is a big part of my life. Everyday I spend time with my ponies, look up pony art, make pony art, search on multiple websites for pony deals and more.

I might be obsessed 

I would love to see more generations in the future and I'm hoping for many more years of ponies

[Leave a Whisper]

I don't really care. If it ends, I can still find joy in collecting vintage ponies. If it keeps going and I like the designs, I'll collect them, too. If I don't like them, I can ignore it and let others enjoy it.

This. The only difference is, if the designs are ugly I'll whine ceaselessly about it.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

It just needs to take a short break.  Hasbro wants to keep churning the property though, as they haven't gotten anything else to diversify their lineup of toy/multi-channel options. 
I don't know how long it will be until it takes that short break, though...

[Zapper]

Why should something inoffensive for kids end just because I - a grown adult - don't like it? As long as the target audience gets something out of it, why should I want it gone? I can just ignore it if I want to.

I think it's actually cool that MLP has had such a long lasting presence in pop culture. It's just that I don't consider everything Hasbro puts out to be quality material

[SaraMari]

Who keeps saying this, bronies? I see no reason it should end, certainly not because I think G4 is the pinnecal and anything after would taint it haha

I was disappointed with G4-4.5 as a toy line and the show was meh, I collected what I liked and ignored or complained about the rest. However I'd like to see more and if they can ever do better with their toys. Basically it's for kids and as long as the kids enjoy it then it should continue. It's nice it's been going this long

[banditpony]

Who keeps saying this, bronies?

I've seen it said here.. I don't think it's a majority of people.

It just needs to take a short break. 

Out of curiosity -- why do you feel it needs a break? Who does that benefit-- Adult consumers? Parents? I'm not saying it doesn't -- I just don't see who it benefits.

I feel like having a full break (with no inbetweener .5 -- which isn't taken as the "main" series) means that Hasbro loses it's shelf space to other toylines, and then it would be harder to gain that back. Quite frankly, that's my guess why we get .5 releases now.

[LadyAmalthea]

I don't really care. If it ends, I can still find joy in collecting vintage ponies. If it keeps going and I like the designs, I'll collect them, too. If I don't like them, I can ignore it and let others enjoy it.

This. The only difference is, if the designs are ugly I'll whine ceaselessly about it.

And I will listen to your whining, because it will most likely vindicate my feelings about it as well 

[Shaiyeh]

Why should something inoffensive for kids end just because I - a grown adult - don't like it? As long as the target audience gets something out of it, why should I want it gone? I can just ignore it if I want to.

I think it's actually cool that MLP has had such a long lasting presence in pop culture. It's just that I don't consider everything Hasbro puts out to be quality material

I agree with this!
And I also see the point of "inbetween" gens (.5s ) like banditpony said - they want to keep shelf space.
Besides - and I know I'm in the minority here - I like the newest pony life/g4.5 ponies more than I liked regular g4. I also have a soft spot for g3.5, so xD

I'm happy as long as there's pony. ^^

[Taffeta]

I would have been fine if there had never been any other generations after gen 1.

And I say this while being fond of some aspects of G2, G3 and even G4. But at the end of the day, as others have said, it's not about me.

But if you were asking me personally, I'd say it should end with G4. But I couldn't vote in the poll because I didn't agree with the subjective postscript that that opinion must be because I think G4 is the best generation. G1 was the best generation for me personally, probably because I grew up with it. Best generation is entirely subjective.

I think it should end because for me G4 has destroyed the core of what MLP was in previous generations. It has pandered to the fanbase, it has encouraged subversive behaviour on and offline, and it has ruined a toyline for children with unnecessary adult interference. Plus, the impact of FIM means that there's very little likelihood of anything new with MLP ever again after this. Rehashing aspects of G4 to cling onto the success of FIM is highly likely at least for G5.

It's not that I think the concept of G4 was bad, or the toys were all bad until they stopped the diversity of character, or that the series should not have happened. But the impact it left is hard to follow without trying to connect to what went before. And for me a new generation shouldn't be about hanging on the coat tails of an old gen. It should be about looking at the demographic it's aimed at and creating something for the kids at that time.

If MLP is not aimed at the kids, then it should stop forever. If it is only going to pander to adult fans who use it to behave stupidly online, then I'm happy for it to be done. For all its success, only one generation did that to MLP. And so because of G4, I would say MLP should end - at least for a while, until all the impurities of the G4 fad phase have ended and the product can be focused entirely on the kids again.

In summary - I don't need ponies in stores or to be currently fashionable to care about MLP. I was here before G2, I'll be here after G4. I just don't like seeing something I loved as a kid turned into a monster because of online stupid, so if it were really up to me, I'd hit the pause button until all of that could be eradicated and it could start completely from scratch.

[Leave a Whisper]

I would have been fine if there had never been any other generations after gen 1.

And I say this while being fond of some aspects of G2, G3 and even G4. But at the end of the day, as others have said, it's not about me.

But if you were asking me personally, I'd say it should end with G4. But I couldn't vote in the poll because I didn't agree with the subjective postscript that that opinion must be because I think G4 is the best generation. G1 was the best generation for me personally, probably because I grew up with it. Best generation is entirely subjective.

I think it should end because for me G4 has destroyed the core of what MLP was in previous generations. It has pandered to the fanbase, it has encouraged subversive behaviour on and offline, and it has ruined a toyline for children with unnecessary adult interference. Plus, the impact of FIM means that there's very little likelihood of anything new with MLP ever again after this. Rehashing aspects of G4 to cling onto the success of FIM is highly likely at least for G5.

It's not that I think the concept of G4 was bad, or the toys were all bad until they stopped the diversity of character, or that the series should not have happened. But the impact it left is hard to follow without trying to connect to what went before. And for me a new generation shouldn't be about hanging on the coat tails of an old gen. It should be about looking at the demographic it's aimed at and creating something for the kids at that time.

If MLP is not aimed at the kids, then it should stop forever. If it is only going to pander to adult fans who use it to behave stupidly online, then I'm happy for it to be done. For all its success, only one generation did that to MLP. And so because of G4, I would say MLP should end - at least for a while, until all the impurities of the G4 fad phase have ended and the product can be focused entirely on the kids again.

In summary - I don't need ponies in stores or to be currently fashionable to care about MLP. I was here before G2, I'll be here after G4. I just don't like seeing something I loved as a kid turned into a monster because of online stupid, so if it were really up to me, I'd hit the pause button until all of that could be eradicated and it could start completely from scratch.

 

[Carrehz]

*shrug* I don't particularly care either way. There's still plenty of already-released ponies (from all gens!) that I haven't collected yet, plus I collect other toy lines... I'd still have stuff to go after if MLP ended tomorrow. If it continues forever and I still like the designs/enjoy collecting, then I'll stick around with the brand. If I don't care for the designs, I'll say so, but I'll still be around collecting the older ones.

I think they'll probably keep making them as long as kids (and their parents ) still buy 'em.

[reanna-mator]

I don't really care. If it ends, I can still find joy in collecting vintage ponies. If it keeps going and I like the designs, I'll collect them, too. If I don't like them, I can ignore it and let others enjoy it.

Pretty much, yeah. I feel like we're sort of in a quiet spot in the franchise with relatively little new stuff coming out, and I'm frankly okay with a breather before it swings into full gear again, if it does.