To anyone asking about Gen 5: Be happy with what you have.

[Mand'alor Dash 2,224]

From time to time, I see threads on this site asking questions about MLP Generation 5. For those somehow unaware, the current generation is number 4, and the generations leading up to it are generally agreed to suck ass. In fact, FiM's success is still treated as an anomaly to this day. A happy accident akin to winning three lotteries with the same ticket.

 

Bronies like to treat the hypothetical Gen 5 like it will be a continuation of FiM. It won't. When Gen 5 comes, I'm sorry to say that it will be a fresh lottery ticket with the same near-zero chance of winning. New cast, new characters, new setting, new marketing, and that's if it gets a cartoon at all.

 

What we have right now is basically what Scooby Doo had for two seasons. After sucking ass for upwards of 40 years, Mystery Incorporated sprung up out of the blue and was miraculously very good. They made two seasons, and will never produce another episode again. And now the next Scooby show looks like it'll suck ass.

 

Be happy that we're on season 6 with no end in sight. Don't tempt fate by putting all your money on a number that probably doesn't exist anymore. We got lucky. Savor it.

[Detritus 258]

I wouldn't be so sure of that. Hasbro has probably learned a lot from G4's success.

 

Unless, of course, they actually want to eliminate bronies. Then they might go back to something like G3. I don't see any reason why they would want to do that though. Even if they don't really like us, money is money no matter where it comes from.

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,301]

I derive solace from the fact that I really don't have any interest in G5; I have no cause to.

[Luminance 2,186]

If Hasbro unintentionally made G4 great, than the chances of G5 being another hit will be high too. Hasbro knows the winning formula now and they're mostly going stick with it. Nobody can't guarantee that G5 will be like G4 anyways. We'll just wait and see until that day happens.

[AlbaTross 1,581]

Bronies like to treat the hypothetical Gen 5 like it will be a continuation of FiM. It won't. When Gen 5 comes, I'm sorry to say that it will be a fresh lottery ticket with the same near-zero chance of winning. New cast, new characters, new setting, new marketing, and that's if it gets a cartoon at all.

Not necessarily. The show we like to call G1 actually had G2 characters appear in it at the end, and Pony Tales had both G1 and G2 characters in it too. A new gen doesn't necessarily mean a new show, and a new show doesn't necessarily mean good bye to all of the previous gen's characters. The G3 series was self-contained in that it only had G3 characters in it, to my knowledge, but past history doesn't prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a new gen will mean a new show, and FiM is by far the most successful show Hasbro has ever had for the My Little Pony line of toys. That's a pretty solid argument for keeping the series around even after gen 4 ends.

 

However, I will agree that we should be happy with what we have, and part of me does kind of want to see Hasbro try making a new series to see if they can replicate FiM's success. I'd also rather FiM end before it turns into what shows like The Simpsons have become, which are shadows of what made them great to begin with. That said, gens of the toys and tv series are actually separate entities, and even if Hasbro always automatically ended shows when gens ended in the past, they make the rules and can decide when they wish to follow them. Now, whether it follows as a matter of likelihood that an end to G4 will mean a new show, then I'd say...maybe. There are solid arguments for both a new show and continuing the old one, so logic has no answers for what Hasbro will actually do.

[Steve Piranha 29,407]

I wouldn't be so sure of that. Hasbro has probably learned a lot from G4's success.

 

Unless, of course, they actually want to eliminate bronies. Then they might go back to something like G3. I don't see any reason why they would want to do that though. Even if they don't really like us, money is money no matter where it comes from.

It's possible, but I won't get my expectations high. Still, it bugs me pretty bad that many of us STILL thinks G5 would continue G4. G5 will have NOTHING to do with FiM, they might use Equestria, some of our favorite names, etc, but they'll be in NAME ONLY, much like G3's Dashie, Pinks, Rares, Sweetie Belle, Scoots, Cheerilee, etc are not like their G4 selves. If Hasbro will continue FiM, they might do a G4.5, but not an outright G5 

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

G5 doesn't exist yet. There are many different ways Hasbro can go with the show, but assuring people it will "suck ass" is a disservice to Hasbro, the artists they hire, and everything they learned in the current generation.

 

G4's immense popularity and intense fanbase may have been lightning in a bottle, but the setup behind it wasn't. Hasbro hired the best people in the business and did not interfere in production as much as they were expected to, thus they achieved their goal: making the absolute best show they could for this franchise that they possibly could. The way Hasbro handled marketing towards the new fanbase, while admittedly not doing the absolute best they could at first, is definitely something that is ahead of the curve as far as the industry goes.

 

To say Hasbro learned nothing from G4 is just flat-out wrong. Though G5 may start over with new characters, a new setting, and many more variables, Hasbro may make another run at getting some vetted talent from the animation industry to create another worthy show. They also might not if their staff changes, however that's a bad business decision, and that means your job if you're an executive. We don't know yet, it's all speculative, but I wouldn't want anyone to knock it before it even appears on the horizon.

[Nuke87654 1,849]

To counter your assertion that Hasbro won't carry the lessons of Gen 4 and why it was successful to gen 5, I'll say is this: Transformers.

[Concerned Bystander 2,902]

MLP has been around since the early 80s but has never been more popular than it is now.  Hasbro have suddenly found themselves with an iteration of the franchise that is not only popular with children, but also, for the first time, with adults who have independent control of disposable income.

 

They are going to be looking very, very hard at the success of G4, and will definitely attempt to replicate that success.  They may not necessarily succeed, but where G4 has gradually changed to accommodate the unexpected audience, I would expect to see G5 aimed across the age range right from the start.  I don't mean we're going to see mature subject matter being dealt with in the cartoon, but in terms of merchandise I would expect the see the sort of collectibles and adult apparel that have slowly appeared, being in the line up on launch day.

Edited March 27, 2016 by Concerned Bystander

[NeonCobalt 256]

To counter your assertion that Hasbro won't carry the lessons of Gen 4 and why it was successful to gen 5, I'll say is this: Transformers.

Exactly. Hasbro has always been good at learning what works and what doesn't. G4 has been a massive success in ways they could never have imagined. They would have to be insane to not try to replicate it. While I don't think anyone can be sure that it will be good, I plan on going into G5, whenever it may happen, with an open mind, and I'm sure many other bronies will too. After all, having an open mind is what got us most of us here in the first place, right?

[Jackie Snack 1,498]

Sucks to be you guys. I actually enjoyed the previous generations. xD

[heavens-champion 1,902]

To counter your assertion that Hasbro won't carry the lessons of Gen 4 and why it was successful to gen 5, I'll say is this: Transformers.

Oh yeah. They'll still have Optimus die and come back to life, every now and then. Guess they didn't expect the kids to like his character so much.

[Nuke87654 1,849]

Oh yeah. They'll still have Optimus die and come back to life, every now and then. Guess they didn't expect the kids to like his character so much.

It's now a written rule to have optimus die for the autobot sins and be resurrected for he is autobot jesus.

Edited March 29, 2016 by Nuke87654

[heavens-champion 1,902]

It's now a written rule to have optimus die for the autobot sins and be resurrected for he is autobot jesus.

I wouldn't go far as to say he's Autobot Jesus, but yeah.

Edited March 29, 2016 by heavens-champion

[Moony the Cat 3,701]

and the generations leading up to it are generally agreed to suck ass. In fact, FiM's success is still treated as an anomaly to this day. A happy accident akin to winning three lotteries with the same ticket.

 

Bronies like to treat the hypothetical Gen 5 like it will be a continuation of FiM. It won't. When Gen 5 comes, I'm sorry to say that it will be a fresh lottery ticket with the same near-zero chance of winning. New cast, new characters, new setting, new marketing, and that's if it gets a cartoon at all.

Wow, if you arent a G4 Fanbrony. 

 

Generally agreed? By who? The high amount of Bronys who hate it? What about the fans of the older Series ( you know, the original Fandom before Bronies ), what about all the good critic that the old G3 Movies good, what about all the successful older Toy Lines? What about the amount of Bronys who like the older Shows as well?

How is it generally agreed that those older Shows and Stuff sucks?

If it would suck, they wouldnt have made a lot of series and movies and toys for so many years and would not have been one of the most successful toy lines. 

How about you are happy that we had the older series, or your precious unbelievable G4 wouldnt even exist. 

 

Never have i seen such a Fandom, in which some People hate the origins so much, that they say everything sucks.

Maybe you dont like it, since its a show for Kids? Younger Kids?

Oh i forgot, now that G4 exists, its for Adults to. All of a sudden.

Even if some Episodes and Storylines have similar Plots to some G4 Stuff.

Like seriously, i dont see that big of a difference between G1, G 1.5 and G4 for example, since some Episodes from G4 sometimes also have Episodes that are similar to them, like slumber party episodes, fights against villains, learning about friendship or Episodes where almost nothing spectacular happends, at least not anything which explains why G4 is soo much better.

And how does everything suck, if Lauren Faust took inspiration from it? 

Why do i even bother? I cant do nothing about Adults or almost Adults, for bashing little children Cartoons, for not appealing to them. 

Edited March 29, 2016 by Supergirl Rarity

[Phanact 333]

I think there doesn't need to be a g5

 

Not yet. They haven't shut down this current generation of ponies, and on top of that, this is about as c ute as they could possibly make them without going overboard and making them look stupidly kawaii and stuff, so I think that this is the epitome of ponies as they will be. Hopefully there will be a 10 year gap between the end of g4 and beginning of g5

[Mesme Rize 15,683]

I am very glad for what we have now. Because i tell you this, no matter how good or bad G5 will be, another brony boom like this, will never happen again, because the stars where just perfectly aligned at this time.

 

There will be also the die hard G4 fanboys, who will just say "it's not G4, so i don't like it."

[TheAnimatorOfficial 567]

Stop. It's pretty obvious that G5 will contain the same universe as G4 because of its massive success. New characters, sure, but there will be continuity with G4.

[cmarston1 5,957]

To be honest I am not really that interested in a generation 5.

I might check it out once it is eventually made, but I don't really have a strong desire for one to be created or for me to watch it.

[EquestrianBrony 0]

I agree with the other posts and I think they learned from this generations success and hopefully they support us bronies and I hope they tend to keep gen4 going

[Castle Bleck 19,285]

I just hope G5 doesn't turn out to be MLP Go! or anything.