State of the fandom?

[Sanic Screwdriver 345]

(First off I want to apologize to the mods, I feel this is probably the wrong place to post this but I couldn't find out where I should.)

Hey it's been probably slightly over a year since I've been into the fandom. I didn't stop liking the show or anything I just kinda stopped watching for a while and moved onto other things after 2 years of doing next to nothing on the internet but looking at pony stuff. So basically what I'm asking is what did I miss? I kind of noticed the fandom seems a bit smaller now and a lot of the huge content posters packed up and left. Are there any new big content poster, websites, or anything else going on, and about how big is the fandom now? Sorry if I'm wrong on something it has been about a year X3 Thanks!

[Drakkon 362]

The fandom is definitely not smaller (especially not 2014 -> 2015 anyway, however I can get why some people might think 2011 or 2012 -> 2015, because back then everyone was concentrated in several sites, and now we have dozens and dozens of communities). I can see why you might feel like things are less active in the land of ponies, but this is because we are well into our annual pony drought between seasons.

 

Though I'm unfamiliar with any websites that became mainstream from late 2013 to now. Perhaps someone else could be of help here!

[Sanic Screwdriver 345]

The fandom is definitely not smaller (especially not 2014 -> 2015 anyway, however I can get why some people might think 2011 or 2012 -> 2015, because back then everyone was concentrated in several sites, and now we have dozens and dozens of communities). I can see why you might feel like things are less active in the land of ponies, but this is because we are well into our annual pony drought between seasons.

 

Though I'm unfamiliar with any websites that became mainstream from late 2013 to now. Perhaps someone else could be of help here!

Ah, that's nice to hear! Guess I should just keep my eye out for content producers, it just stinks the big ones like Living Tombstone and such left, ah well 

[Po-Nonimous 583]

Although I haven't been here very long or a Brony for very long, either, I've been seeing a daily increase in the number of fans joining this site. This seems to be happening all over the fandom, especially since the last Superbowl, which featured a commercial that showed the Mane Six dressed up as Colts fans.

 

 

It was just a little two or three second segment of a much larger commercial but I'm sure millions had to have seen it.

 

Since that showing and, as I said, memberships to this site have gone up rather dramatically. Check out the welcome page and see the number of new members that've signed up in just the last week. 

[mars 4,861]

, as this has to do with the brony fandom, this belongs in Sugarcube Corner. I've gone ahead and moved it for you!

[[NULL] 906]

So basically what I'm asking is what did I miss? I kind of noticed the fandom seems a bit smaller now and a lot of the huge content posters packed up and left.

There's a rift here in the fandom, and can't neither magic nor the passin' of time make it right.

 

Spoilers for Season 3 finale:

 

Twilicorn has come at last. The Season 3 Ending. Flame wars... without end.

 

 

 

 

it just stinks the big ones like Living Tombstone and such left, ah well

I didn't know he left the fandom. I thought he just didn't want to work exclusively on MLP-related content. Then again I haven't really followed him, so what do I know?

Edited February 7, 2015 by SpaceOnion

[Hovershy 3,812]

I think things have calmed down a little because of the hiatus between season 4 and 5. I do believe the fandom will become more active when season 5 comes along.

 

And yes, I think the fandom has died down a little since 2012, but it is still in very good shape.

[CC_Maud_Pie 6,431]

I would say it's growing since conventions have higher attendance rates that in the earlier fandom years.

[Sanic Screwdriver 345]

There's a rift here in the fandom, and can't neither magic nor the passin' of time make it right.

 

Spoilers for Season 3 finale:

 

Twilicorn has come at last. The Season 3 Ending. Flame wars... without end.

 

 

 

 

I didn't know he left the fandom. I thought he just didn't want to work exclusively on MLP-related content. Then again I haven't really followed him, so what do I know?

Well I could be mistaken, that's just what I gathered from some post he made a while ago (not on youtube) Well hopefully we'll get more content to replace what is lost 

[Pastel 7,627]

We're in the middle of a hiatus, that's why the fandom seems smaller. (it would be nice if @MadPointer could give use more informations...)

[Freewave 1,145]

We're definitely in an inbetween season drought (that is just as bad as it was between 3+4). Many fandom musicians and creators have left, some are more or less on hiatus, and some sites have shriveled up (Everfree being the big one). While some conventions close down, others get more special guests and become more popular. It's really hard to say if its truly shrinking, staying the same, or possibly growing. All i can say is it still feels kind of weird having no fuel (ie new episodes) to keep the fandom alight and it feels like all the old familiar sites are closing down for winter or aren't as healthy. Will it be wrapped up when a new season comes along? Maaaaybe?

[Po-Nonimous 583]

We're definitely in an inbetween season drought (that is just as bad as it was between 3+4). Many fandom musicians and creators have left, some are more or less on hiatus, and some sites have shriveled up (Everfree being the big one). While some conventions close down, others get more special guests and become more popular. It's really hard to say if its truly shrinking, staying the same, or possibly growing. All i can say is it still feels kind of weird having no fuel (ie new episodes) to keep the fandom alight and it feels like all the old familiar sites are closing down for winter or aren't as healthy. Will it be wrapped up when a new season comes along? Maaaaybe?

 

I've seen it said many times already how the show being on hiatus has caused a lul in forum activities across the fandom and that's a good and valid point. Still, and as I've said earlier in this thread, I've noticed a very steady and regular flow of new members since the showing of that Superbowl commercial that briefly but very prominently featured Ponies as Colts fans so, who's to say, really? Perhaps we'll see a drastic increase in activity after the Hiatus is over and everyone has new episodes to pick to pieces. lol

 

All humor aside, it causes me to wonder if the fandom is about to become much more mainstream since the showing of that commercial? I think it'll be very interesting to see how that pans out.

[Tao 6,739]

I think the fandom is a slow mood right

now without any new eps or any major

fan-projects in the works while we

wait also to add in some fuel to our

fandom fire!  With the return of

a full 26 eps coming our way in

a few short months,  i think it will

bloom once more and also fine

new fans to bring in some blood!

[Freewave 1,145]

I've seen it said many times already how the show being on hiatus has caused a lul in forum activities across the fandom and that's a good and valid point. Still, and as I've said earlier in this thread, I've noticed a very steady and regular flow of new members since the showing of that Superbowl commercial that briefly but very prominently featured Ponies as Colts fans so, who's to say, really? Perhaps we'll see a drastic increase in activity after the Hiatus is over and everyone has new episodes to pick to pieces. lol

 

All humor aside, it causes me to wonder if the fandom is about to become much more mainstream since the showing of that commercial? I think it'll be very interesting to see how that pans out.

 

Honestly that was 1/2 sec of a commercial of a superbowl ad. If anything it was a VERY small wake-up call. If Hasbro announces the date of the new season beginning that's when you'll truly see some much continued activity as bronies wake up from their extended hibernation.

[Confucius 194]

Sadly many trolls still think of us as the "cancer/autism of the Internet" but we still are in great condition with many active artists, musicians, and charities.

[Po-Nonimous 583]

Honestly that was 1/2 sec of a commercial of a superbowl ad. If anything it was a VERY small wake-up call. If Hasbro announces the date of the new season beginning that's when you'll truly see some much continued activity as bronies wake up from their extended hibernation.

 

Okay, point taken that it wasn't more than a second or two but it was enough to attract the attention of literally thousands of non-brony Facebook comments, thousands of Tweets and at least five comment threads on Reddit so someone must have noticed something somewhere.

 

It might be interesting to do a poll at some point to just to see how many people now visiting this site got interested because of that commercial blip.

[Jammo 986]

It's going through a natural point of stagnation due to a longer than usual hiatus. This is unavoidable. People care less about pony because we aren't being given enough material for chatter. Just a lot of speculation.

Edited February 8, 2015 by Jammo

[TheJLeeTeam 914]

It maybe because of the dry spell of new episodes. Recently I haven't been very active on this site either. And I've been watching other cartoons so maybe this community will be more active during Season 5.

[Po-Nonimous 583]

Sadly many trolls still think of us as the "cancer/autism of the Internet" but we still are in great condition with many active artists, musicians, and charities.

 

Well, about the trolls... I do what I can to counter them by countertrolling them with fun, humor and friendly good spirits. They're never sure how to take it when someone just accepts them as they are, hate or not, and I think I've actually managed to turn a few around doing that. One less troll is one less troll. (Maybe I should start a thread on effective countertrolling? Hmm... Maybe.)

[GearheadWilliams 64]

Equestria Girls 3 and an actual pony movie were announced (The pone one is estimated to be released in 2017), many SJWs in Tumblr want to see everyone of us dead just because we exist, two... things (I can't recall what they are) were launched into space that contain the image of Celestia and Luna respectively, and...That's pretty much anything "global" I can recall and tell you about the fandom. There were many dramas, too. Too many to mention.

I'm not sure if you already knew all of this stuff. I'm not very in touch with this fandom myself now-a-days. Also, our community is pretty stagnated, as it always becomes when we go through a season hiatus. The wait for season 5 is long and boring. 

Also, M.A Larson still recommends his novel: Pennyroyal Academy.
Sample Text

Edited February 8, 2015 by GearheadWilliams

[Po-Nonimous 583]

It's going through a natural point of stagnation due to a longer than usual hiatus. This is unavoidable. People care less about pony because we aren't being given enough material for chatter. Just a lot of speculation.

 

Considering the huge numbers of amazingly talented and very imaginative members there are on this site I'd be surprised if many of the fans ran out of things to speculate about. I mean, that's half the fun during the hiatus time, isn't it? Imagining would could or might be in the next season? I think so.

[xenozfan3 188]

Well I could be mistaken, that's just what I gathered from some post he made a while ago (not on youtube) Well hopefully we'll get more content to replace what is lost 

While he has quit making pony related videos I don't think he has completely left the fandom. Heck he even said on Twitter that he is going to stop by ponycon.

[Tupek 33]

We're in the middle of a hiatus, that's why the fandom seems smaller. (it would be nice if @MadPointer could give use more informations...)

Sadly, he hasn't been online for months. I don't know if he will return

[chirox the pony 1,334]

I believe what's happened is that the shock the fandom has created has died down, pony content isn't dead it's just the norm now, I don't think it's that the fandom is dying so much as it is that people aren't paying as much attention to it due to the fact they've all gotten used to it. 

[Microghost 39]

Fandoms can usually have moments of pause, but since it's growing steadily, it would be more people. It's not just growing steadily anymore, but is starting to grow exponentially(besides the occasional pause). Once it grows so exponentially as to reach singularity, the fandom would become infinite it would reach a point of becoming an unstoppable wave that takes over most of the world. I for one welcome our new brony overlords.

 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=3N1pGxyboWs

 

Others may fear the upcoming pony fandom singularity(the REAL reason for their trolling), but I embrace it. The world could use more kindness.