Pony Decline.

[CastletonSnob 3,079]

http://www.equestriadaily.com/2015/10/pony-declining-but-hopefully-more-stuff.html#idc-cover

 

 

 

Hasbro did their annual investor conference call today, and the results were a bit shaky on the pony side of things. We saw another girls brand drop, down 28% from last year (echoed by Bloomberg), which includes things like pony, Furby, and Pet Shop. Pony dominates that section pretty well, so we can probably assume it's the main driver

 

However, Hasbro acknowledged that the hiatus was a factor.

 

Thoughts?

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

Ponies have always been a fad. Always. They were a fad in 1981, in 1997, in 2003, and in 2010, and they will continue to do so in the future. My Little Pony will probably never go away. Generation 4 (this one) is special because Hasbro's writing team really came together to create a really mutable environment with decent animation and script, as well as characters that caught the attention of the adult audiences.

 

Ponies will always be ponies, but Generation 4 is the first of it's kind to be really more than a face for toys.

 

And if the fad is fading, so what? Wait 5-10 years, they'll come up with something else.

[Jeric 46,867]

Hiatus is an valid reason but not the primary one. Think bigger. Market share and revenue declines in the girls market are being reported industry wide. Pony actually seems to be fairing much better than most in that category. That said, I wouldn't be shocked if there was an decline in interest, though the fan analysts do not have the expertise to do anything more than generic conjecture.

[GuyNamedEarl 1,332]

Ponies have always been a fad. Always. They were a fad in 1981, in 1997, in 2003, and in 2010, and they will continue to do so in the future. My Little Pony will probably never go away. Generation 4 (this one) is special because Hasbro's writing team really came together to create a really mutable environment with decent animation and script, as well as characters that caught the attention of the adult audiences.

 

Ponies will always be ponies, but Generation 4 is the first of it's kind to be really more than a face for toys.

 

And if the fad is fading, so what? Wait 5-10 years, they'll come up with something else.

I'd have to agree with you. The first three generations were merely to sell toys. This gen is special, and has a much wider audience than the other generations and toys aren't the main attraction. Of course Hasbro probably only cares about sales, but they will still produce the show even if profits don't do as good as they want.

[ITV Canterlot 39]

*Cue NOOOOOO Announced by Spike*

 

Not entirely sure how specifically MLP brand did (LPS was cancelled, probably because weak toy sales). I still think MLP is the backbone income source for Hasbro, and they won't sacrifice the grand audience they've developed to restart the brand. So I'm not concerned about the possible future of FiM.

[cmarston1 5,960]

This is probably due to how Discovery Family has been advertising the show and or because the show has been going on for a while now.

[Brony_B 128]

At some point the series will end, but I will always love it.  Everything is impermanent, even our lives.  I am just so glad that there are so many of you that share my love for pony.  It is such a blessing.

[Dark Horse 12,966]

Things fluctuate, it's just natural. Hype reaches its peak at a certain point and then inevitably begins to die down as people choose to move on and try something else, or another popular fad rises that gets their attention. Nothing lasts. That doesn't mean that something is dying though, not at all. It can easily reach new levels of hype when something new comes along down the line. Who knows what the future holds?

 

For now, we enjoy the time and experiences we have with it.

[Guest]

11 months between episodes is normal for like... A ton of other shows out there that don't lose steam over it. Doctor Who takes forever for a new season to happen, as does Orange is the New Black and they only grow in size. I think it just shows how demanding MLP fans are. AKA, the fans are partially to blame for expecting such non-stop content.

[Brony_B 128]

11 months between episodes is normal for like... A ton of other shows out there that don't lose steam over it. Doctor Who takes forever for a new season to happen, as does Orange is the New Black and they only grow in size. I think it just shows how demanding MLP fans are. AKA, the fans are partially to blame for expecting such non-stop content.

And then we get antsy and start creating our own to fill in the gaps! 

[EQ_Theta 466]

The hiatus as a factor? I'd say it is but it may not be the only reason why there is a decline. The impression I'm getting from the wording is that the girls' brand is dropping as a whole and there appears to be more emphasis on Equestria Girls over Friendship is Magic. Don't get me wrong, but this drop is likely happening since there are other franchises competing and it's near the Christmas season so there's bound to be more competition around that time. Fluctuations in sales happen and it can bounce back when Christmas comes. 

[TubeSock2018 325]

I personally think its because pony has been going on for a while.

I mean, how many times are kids going to buy the same toy, but in different variations?

You got normal twilight

Equestria Girls Twilight

Twilight on a motorcycle(?)

and Rainbow  Power Twilight

Just to name a few.

 

And then you multiply it by 6 (7 considering that Sunset is also getting many different variants) because all the other main characters also have a different variants. 

 

Sure, you have blind bag ponies which can capitalize on other, lesser known ponies, but for the most part, the toys that kids will want the most are those that are bigger, have more accessories, and do more things. And those toys, which will cost more to produce, are saved for the more popular characters, so that they don't risk not selling a bunch of toys based on a BG character that kids aren't that interested in. 

 

People have been speculating that FiM is going to end with the movie, a sentiment I feel because it wouldn't be the first time Hasbro "ended" something with a movie.

The 1980s Transformer movie killed off the majority of the original cast to introduce new characters/new toys.

Not saying the MLP movie is going to kill off the mane 6, but if FiM is ever going to end, I can see the movie setting up new characters to regenerate any interest that may have been lost in the past 3 years.

 

I don't think it has much to do with marketing or hiatus, but more with the fact that it's natural for people to lose interest. Remember how amazing it felt to watch MLP for the first time. Discovering these brand new characters in a way we never thought possible for MLP?

While the show is still good, it's not the same anymore. I remember watching like 2 to 3 episodes a night. It was addicting and now it isn't as much. And this is just a natural reaction. A lot of people freak out when they think they're losing interest in MLP because it doesn't capture the same feeling it did when they first saw it. 

Now imagine kids who are constantly being competed for by all these different toy companies. It's like a hot girl who eventually becomes numb to compliments because they've lost their meaning now that every single guy she encounters hits on her.

With kids, you gotta really impress them because the moment they get bored of something, there's already another toy company there to show off their latest IP. 

Edited October 20, 2015 by pollo20x6

[AlbaTross 1,586]

I personally think its because pony has been going on for a while.

I mean, how many times are kids going to buy the same toy, but in different variations?

You got normal twilight

Equestria Girls Twilight

Twilight on a motorcycle(?)

and Rainbow Power Twilight

Just to name a few.

 

Those are supposed to be Twilight? Wow, and I thought the EQG stuff that comes through my till at work is bad. That takes the cake though. Perhaps if Hasbro actually put effort in to make their toys at least somewhat resemble the characters they're supposed to represent, then maybe they would sell more. This stuff makes the TY plushies look accurate. I have no interest in owning any of the regular toys myself, largely because I would have no interest in playing with them or keeping them in their box to enjoy them aesthetically, although the latter is even less likely given that all of the above are Twilight in name only and I shudder to think what Hasbro had done to the other characters. At least my Maud Pie plushie is show accurate, but she's also a Japan import. Even the blind bag ponies look better than the larger toys. Wow. Epic fail.

 

Yeah, MLP probably won't kill off any characters except maybe villains, but I can think of only one case where even that has happened. If Hasbro wants to start over with new characters I imagine they will simply tie up this series and introduce a new one with new ponies. They do seem to take every opportunity to introduce new characters to the series, so I would be surprised if the in universe movie didn't do so as well. I'm sure there is more than one reason why MLP is experiencing a decline, but all the possible reasons listed above are valid hypotheses. I have noticed that the latest season has been especially appealing to Bronies by granting our wishes, though who's to say whether the various plot points resonate as much with the target audience. I'm sure children aren't as concerned about having show accurate merchandise either, mind you, though I'm sure some would appreciate it too.