What will happen to the fandom when the show ends?

[SolyWack 482]

So I saw the topic titeled something like "Will we make it to episode 200"? That got me thinking. If we are all honest with each other here, its not lasting that long. What show created to sell toys has ever lasted that long. Hasbro is running out of junk to cram into the show so they can make more toys. The solution: a whole new cast.
 
The show will run to season 6, we will get the movie, probably 1 or 2 more EQG movies, then it will end. But what happens to the fandom? Im sure it will still go strong for a while, but 1 year in, and people will start to lose interest. First the EQG fanbase will die, then the show fanbase, then after an even longer time the Fanfiction community will run out of new ideas good ideas. Then eventually the music bronies. Somewhere in there the roleplayers, I don't do that, so I don't know how strong it is to make a time judgement.
 
All that will be left is a few stray prospectors lurking around the site of a once booming community.

[Flutterstep 46,287]

I was thinking the same thing. But hopefully when a new generation of MLP happens, it will be by the same people who made Friendship is Magic, and the fandom will be revived. I hope that happens anyway. Maybe they should make a spinoff show?

[ThatOneComrade 1,091]

Simple answer to simple question is simple: The fandom slowly dies out until a new installment (gen5) comes in

[MagentaRush 44]

I'm not too sure it'll die out too quickly to be honest.

I mean, look at the Portal fandom, we've not had an official new game since Portal 2 in 2011, yet we're still thriving. We pretty much live on fanmade content and almost treat mod releases like a release of an official game, and I'm pretty sure the Brony community will do the same when the inevitable end of the show comes along but with fanmade episodes, as I'm sure we'll have mostly found a way around copyright restrictions by then.

[Silver Letter 1,830]

Those riding a bandwagon will go but hopefully true fans will stick around. A fandom shouldn't live just for new stuff but should really be into something because they like what it's about and/or what it stands for.

[I used to be a stranger 7,989]

I'm hoping for the rumored Gen 4.5 to come up. Extended Cutie Mark Crusaders adventures. I also not-so-secretly have reservations and questions about why so much focus was made on Double Diamond, Party Favor, Sugar Belle and Night Glider. Mighthaps they be portents of a new era?

[APegLegPirate 168]

The fandom will probably get smaller and smaller over time as people forget and move on. There will be the odd ones here and there that remember and remain as if nothing has happened. But I imagine it'll just become old and die out. 

[KrazyDashie 1,846]

hey now... the fandom might die out slowly after it ends. but would be revived if a gen 5 comes around.

Edited June 27, 2015 by KrazyDashie

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,298]

It will be entombed in the island city of Bron'lyeh before it sinks, again, to the ocean depths.

[BayoUni2847 528]

The fandom will still go strong for a while due to the continuous amount of fan content being made.

 

If a new generation isn't made within seven to ten years after the show ends, it'll start turning into a ghost town.

[NotoriousSMALL 1,984]

"Life goes on" - Tupac Shakur

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,298]

It will return to Mordor from whence it came.

[Alto 437]

it will wither slowly with till only a handful are left

 

will prolly pick up again once a new show/gen is announced

Edited June 27, 2015 by Alto

[Luna the Great of all the Russias 2,700]

This is my view on end of MLPFIM as show.

 

-People will be sad that there will no longer be any new official episodes of MLPFIM.

-People will yell out "FANDOM DOOMSDAY!" again.

-Perhaps notable number of people will leave sometime after show ends.

-Population of fandom eventually stabilizes and continues to live on for decades.

 

I have much less worry about Bronydom survival than some other users on this forum.

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,298]

It will flee, mindlessly, into the nearby woodland areas.  Learn to dwell among and indeed in the trees; needing nothing other than what the forest provides.  They will cover themselves with bark and animal furs.  They will eat nuts and berries and sometimes mushrooms.  They will regret eating the mushrooms.  Some will not survive.  Some will!  Their individual names will be forgotten; they will take on a group name representative of all their peoples.  The past will be but a vague dream to them.  But, at times, they will spontaneously burst into half-remembered snatches of song.  "I was prepared to do my best..."

[skysweep 541]

Well, what I think of this fandom ending thing is its not going to happen as drastically as many would think.

 

I would say that I would compare the fandoms to the growth of a child.

We are in a sort of adolescence, where we are just questioning what is the future. We dont know, its not clear.  Some things fall apart and some things we will move on from. But one thing is for sure, we will grow from this. Sure, it might not be as I remember, the boom in 2011 -2012, which was like celebrating a childhood. 

 

But we would eventually move on as a fandom into the adulthood, where we find and stick to the core which makes a place for us in the world. My view is that our creativity will shine through as the core, and that will sustain us for generations.

 

I mean, look at fandoms like star wars. 20 years separates each trilogy, and they can keep themselves going for so many years. What is to say we wont do the same? 

[Venomous 18,813]

If I had a nickel for everytime I saw a thread similar to this one, i'd be more rich than Oprah.

 

The answer is: Some will leave and some will stay.

[VengefulStrudel 1,486]

@@Tsaritsa Luna, Pretty much this. I'm pretty sure the fandom will persist for years to come, people will come and go, and G5 may eventually come out far in the future.

[KillerKingBakudan 702]

I mean, look at fandoms like star wars. 20 years separates each trilogy, and they can keep themselves going for so many years. What is to say we wont do the same? 

Pretty much this. It's the same as the Trekkies. That community hasn't died out, even if the last two Star Trek movies did reboot the entire history of the franchise. All the different series from the original 60's show up to Voyager are still enjoyed to this day (Enterprise will always be the black sheep).

 

But I can say this much: if G5 doesn't live up to FIM's standards, there won't be a newer generation of bronies to go with it.

[Rainboom Dash 1,055]

I think the fandom will still go on for a long time yet. I think a lot of people will still make lots of fanfiction, animation and art to fill the hole left by the show.

[ButterKingPyromaniac 86]

I think the show will go on and on and on forever as long as us bronies stay.

[NebuLord/Starburst 32]

There has been toys promoted by shows for years, most have died out, but have new incarnations E.g. transformers and tmnt

[LucianZ 76]

Why does it matter if the show ends ? You can rewatch it everytime or older series; you can create comics,animations,music fanstuff to continue the MLP community until the new generation comes. I'll always be the guy who likes friendship and ponies, doesn't matter who else likes it or if the show ends.

 

And there's Star Wars, Avatar, Furries, Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, Sonic, Anime, Marvel etc. fandoms you can join, if you feel like  the internet community is so important. And I agree, the brony community is most welcoming and feels like family , but if you think it has no point after the show ends, move on to other series.

Edited June 27, 2015 by LucianZ

[Untitled Goose Q 5,136]

The fandom wont die out completely, but there will certainly be less activity in it.

[SolyWack 482]

Wow, some people take real offense to an arbitrary question on a brony forum on what will happen when a show about ponies and friendship will end. Calm down people its just a topic.