mega thread The state of the Brony fandom (Numbers, Popularly, Future)

[Phill 1,285]

I've seen threads like this popping up for years lol. 

[twilightfan 12]

8 minutes ago, Phill said:

I've seen threads like this popping up for years lol. 

ik but i started it the thread with something more specific than most threads on this website with this topic

13 minutes ago, ShootingStar159 said:

Firefly is another, more modern example. Did anything come from that rumored continuation/reboot?

well i think with the fact that i am a diehard fan in multiple fandoms like the disney fandom, sonic fandom, nintendo fandom, etc. i always switch from one fandom to the next not just sticking to one even though the hiatuses of mlp just like most edgy otakus/weeaboos at least in the united states

Edited March 1, 2018 by twilightfan

[Total Lunar Eclipse 515]

I just joined, so no idea about the past. Now I'm interested in what all this past scandal stuff is about. 

I joined the MLP fandom though because I've always been in small, obscure fandoms that dwindle and die, and I want something more stable this time (horse puuuuun). MLP is a very strong fandom, and Hasbro makes a lot of money off it, so they'll keep it alive and going. The future looks bright for MLP.

[twilightfan 12]

20 minutes ago, Total Lunar Eclipse said:

I just joined, so no idea about the past. Now I'm interested in what all this past scandal stuff is about. 

I joined the MLP fandom though because I've always been in small, obscure fandoms that dwindle and die, and I want something more stable this time (horse puuuuun). MLP is a very strong fandom, and Hasbro makes a lot of money off it, so they'll keep it alive and going. The future looks bright for MLP.

yeah especially since hasbro made mlp more suitable for people with social anxiety like with teennick and toonkritic was a brony analysis reviewer who was grooming minors though skype but i rather not go into details you just have to look it up on youtube or just google it but here's a few videos to start you with

 

 

Edited March 1, 2018 by twilightfan

[Ganondorf8 11,118]

The fandom in terms of numbers has dipped a lot since its peak way back in 2012 but I wouldn't say its dying. People come and go from fandoms all the time because their interest may be strong one day and weak the next, so if anything, this fandom has reached a middle ground of sorts where it has a steady stream of fans who will continue to keep it going.

[twilightfan 12]

4 minutes ago, Ganondorf8 said:

The fandom in terms of numbers has dipped a lot since its peak way back in 2012 but I wouldn't say its dying. People come and go from fandoms all the time because their interest may be strong one day and weak the next, so if anything, this fandom has reached a middle ground of sorts where it has a steady stream of fans who will continue to keep it going.

oh yeah i seen you mentioned that in other similar threads but the reason i am more concerned because of the effect on the brony rock music community with not as many big relevant brony rock musicians a few being princewhateverer, skybolt, and the l-train and people leaving isn't the problem it's more with the change of music landscape for the brony community with there being way more brony electronic musicians and few less brony musicians of other genres

Edited March 1, 2018 by twilightfan

[Goat-kun 2,495]

It's just resting

 

Fandoms are like gold rush towns where popularity is gold and content creators play the part of merchants.

[Rhythm Red 6,484]

No, it ain’t dead. Far from it, actually!

 

Behold... The Fandom Lifecycle!

1. The fandom begins with a few people

2. It gains popularity and the number of fans skyrockets

3. The fandom hits its peak

4. Controversies, drama, famous people leaving, lost interest, quality worsening, losing the feeling of novelty, etc. (though this could happen at any time) 

5. Numbers dip, or begin to level out

6. Something big happens that renews interest (in our case, a fantastic new season, or perhaps G5 if it’s done well!)

7. Numbers begin to go back up

Repeat numbers 3-7 over and over (or sometimes just 4-7) until step 6 doesn’t happen again. When this happens, a fandom will slowly shrink. Once there are zero fans, the fandom is pronounced dead.

Looking at our fandom, I would say we’re definitely nowhere near to dying. I’d place us at 5, with an emphasis on leveling out. Interest has definitely dropped a little bit since the early seasons, but that’s because of a lot of reasons. Besides, it happens to literally every fandom. And I wouldn’t say we’re shrinking. I think we have reached the point where the fandom won’t shrink very much anymore, because the intake of new fans is just the same as the amount of people losing interest. People come and go, and the fandom has definitely changed a lot, but we will still be alive long after G4 ends. And if G5 turns out to be a hit (like I’m expecting!), then we will see another skyrocket.

tldr, The fandom isn’t dying anytime soon. With all that’s in store for us, I expect us to begin growing again soon! If that doesn’t happen, we won’t shrink significantly, at least.

[Adderbane 120]

1 hour ago, Rhythm Red said:

No, it ain’t dead. Far from it, actually!

 

Behold... The Fandom Lifecycle!

1. The fandom begins with a few people

2. It gains popularity and the number of fans skyrockets

3. The fandom hits its peak

4. Controversies, drama, famous people leaving, lost interest, quality worsening, losing the feeling of novelty, etc. (though this could happen at any time) 

5. Numbers dip, or begin to level out

6. Something big happens that renews interest (in our case, a fantastic new season, or perhaps G5 if it’s done well!)

7. Numbers begin to go back up

Repeat numbers 3-7 over and over (or sometimes just 4-7) until step 6 doesn’t happen again. When this happens, a fandom will slowly shrink. Once there are zero fans, the fandom is pronounced dead.

Looking at our fandom, I would say we’re definitely nowhere near to dying. I’d place us at 5, with an emphasis on leveling out. Interest has definitely dropped a little bit since the early seasons, but that’s because of a lot of reasons. Besides, it happens to literally every fandom. And I wouldn’t say we’re shrinking. I think we have reached the point where the fandom won’t shrink very much anymore, because the intake of new fans is just the same as the amount of people losing interest. People come and go, and the fandom has definitely changed a lot, but we will still be alive long after G4 ends. And if G5 turns out to be a hit (like I’m expecting!), then we will see another skyrocket.

tldr, The fandom isn’t dying anytime soon. With all that’s in store for us, I expect us to begin growing again soon! If that doesn’t happen, we won’t shrink significantly, at least.

This sums it up pretty well.  The MLP Fandom is probably in the level-out line of stage 5.  Without the explosive growth circa 2012 and in the aftermath of a number of incidents (Twilicorn, EQG) it may seem like the fandom is less than what it was, and this is likely correct.  However, it maintains a level of activity that most fandoms can only dream of in their heyday (no pun intended) so I think we're secure for the foreseeable future.  The real question is whether or not Hasbro will be able to learn from the lessons of the past 7 years to create another smash hit in G5.  In any case, the fandom will survive, but it'll be a missed opportunity for major growth if they don't.

[twilightfan 12]

6 hours ago, Adderbane said:

This sums it up pretty well.  The MLP Fandom is probably in the level-out line of stage 5.  Without the explosive growth circa 2012 and in the aftermath of a number of incidents (Twilicorn, EQG) it may seem like the fandom is less than what it was, and this is likely correct.  However, it maintains a level of activity that most fandoms can only dream of in their heyday (no pun intended) so I think we're secure for the foreseeable future.  The real question is whether or not Hasbro will be able to learn from the lessons of the past 7 years to create another smash hit in G5.  In any case, the fandom will survive, but it'll be a missed opportunity for major growth if they don't.

@Mystic Brush & @meck-can-ik pony pretty much sums up my pov of the brony community as well as this these videos since i don't really want to go to any conventions especially ones around my area like trotcon around the capital of ohio which is columbus, ohio and since i heard about the toonkritic scandal i fear something bad will happen to me at a convention near northeastern ohio or inside northeastern ohio if my father or grandfather ever takes me to a convention with the fact that there could be somebody that is creepy at the convention that could take advantage of me and that the brony community is more dangerous that what i thought it would be

 

 

 

Edited March 2, 2018 by twilightfan

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

@PathfinderCS As a part of a fandom which died right after the sourse material died, i hope mlp is not another one.

 

[twilightfan 12]

@Lambdadelta i agree i haven't really been this socially active online within a specific community before i joined the brony community or as some would say join the herd which is one of the reasons i went from being very active on social media from facebook to twitter to twitch and finally youtube in chronological order and american public schools are more interested in getting the highest test score than actually helping children learn what needs to be learned in a world where social media is a big thing i should know since i was a senior when i joined the fandom and spelling ain't as great as most people in this brony community same with my writing i can only do print yet my writing can be unreadable for some people while others it is readable which i don't know if i am as some people put it a attention whore or i just love socializing with other people on the internet mostly the brony community than somebody who is against the brony community because i think a attention whore is somebody who actually trying to look cool around their friends which i am not i am just trying to be myself and like more down to earth brony youtubers like fornogoodreason compared to a christian brony youtuber like dr. wolf which is why i am not a fan of pewdiepie and markiplier and am a fan of cobanermani456 with pewdiepie and markiplier they seem like a total joke with their youtube videos so i think i created this thread for some venting rather than just finding other ways to help with how worried i am with the brony community with the fact that there might be antifa members in the brony community which is what i think is what vice refers to as pony nationalism so i might be more alt-right than alt-left pretty much i have the same mindset as antony c with the brony community and when i see so much hatred against bronies on youtube it upsets me more than most bronies as much as it upsets pinkie pie when ponies aren't giving her attention so i use the same tactics as anti-bronies to make them to stop annoying me not just take stuff as some bronies say with a grain of salt when the majority of the fandom among with those who are'nt bronies are against me who enjoys the show if what it is and not care what others think of me pretty much being the exact opposite of love and tolerate because of how it's overused in the brony community and with being against montothism with how closed-minded some monotheists are who acts like if you don't believe in one deity you are evil or something that is what i see in mlp a exact opposite of monotheism and more polytheism since i am a all-around pagan like the ancient romans in a anti-elitist kind of way which is why i don't like most western cartoons that came out since 2010 than mlp gave me hope that there are at least a few western cartoons that are still as great as western cartoons from the 2000s like tuff puppy and rwby and flash animated franchises from newgrounds like the madness combat franchise and the fan content of madness combat

Edited March 2, 2018 by twilightfan

[Hierok 11,829]

16 hours ago, Mystic Brush said:

When i was a kid, i had two favorite cartoons called, Code Lyoko and, Avatar The Last Airbender. These are cartoons that are over a decade old and, the fandoms are still strong. People make art and, everything else. Undertale is a bit old and, the fandom is still there. You just have to know where to find places with the most activity. Sure, people leave but, not everyone does. As soon as G4 ends, there's still going to be fanart, music and, fiction around. It's not just going to come to a complete halt after it's finished.

That primarlily because AtlA is a very good show. As long as the show is original, well written and has remarkable moments, the fanbase will go on, despite the time. 

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

@twilightfan What a wall of texts, so much passion I feel bad for not replying the same amount of them. 

I was one of people who despise brony and ponies  (shocking). Everytime my friend mention ponies, I ridiculed him and now i am more obsessed to ponies content than that guy, irony. This show just open my eyes that i am not too old to watch this cartoon, i thought egdy stuffs are the only way i can enjoy media, and i was wrong, mlp is the only western cartoon that i care the most for over 3 years. 

'Love and tolerance' should belong to any fandom, not just mlp.

[twilightfan 12]

5 hours ago, Lambdadelta said:

@twilightfan What a wall of texts, so much passion I feel bad for not replying the same amount of them. 

I was one of people who despise brony and ponies  (shocking). Everytime my friend mention ponies, I ridiculed him and now i am more obsessed to ponies content than that guy, irony. This show just open my eyes that i am not too old to watch this cartoon, i thought egdy stuffs are the only way i can enjoy media, and i was wrong, mlp is the only western cartoon that i care the most for over 3 years. 

'Love and tolerance' should belong to any fandom, not just mlp.

yeah but there are also bronies who are grammer nazis and i don't really understand what tldr means as much as somebody who is a extrovert since unlike most bronies i have a internet addiction so the bronies just telling me that the brony fandom ain't dying from a insider pov ain't helping since i never really was big into bulletin boards like 4chan, 8chan, and ponychan mostly social media and forums as well as video streaming websites like youponies and youtube and when i ain't very active in a fandom as in not getting into much of the official and fan content it worries me with how i have social anxiety i am not like one of those bronies who understand when somebody says take something with a grain of salt more like ihe idk who to believe and who not to believe social media feels like it's entirely different than bulletin boards which is why i have a lack of understanding of how the internet works with social networking and everything else on the internet i don't even understand what a flame war is other than it's some sort of war on the internet so in a way i am kinda a newbie even though i been using social media since i was around 13 years old so i need somebody who knows more about bulletin boards than me to explain why i had a nervous breakdown after watching a video brony 4chan horror stories on youtube so this is more from a young adult brony who is entering their 20s who is on their laptop the majority of the time pov especially since i don't know what is a trustworthy source within the brony community or not

6 hours ago, Hierok, Scoffer of Music said:

That primarlily because AtlA is a very good show. As long as the show is original, well written and has remarkable moments, the fanbase will go on, despite the time. 

that's exactly i feel about mlp:fim which is why i am afraid that the next mlp cartoon is going to end up worst than fim 

oh and i forgot that i was one of those parents who was sheltered by one or two of your parents which i think it was my mother who sheltered me or was it my lack of understanding mortality since i joined the brony community

since i was one of those shy teenagers who believes everything in pop culture is true or real or whatever

which i still do believe somethings in pop culture is true but not everything also i have'nt been reading much books lately and mostly fanfics online like on websites like fimfiction

but than there is the fact that i am not sure if creepypastas are real or not and thought of them like urban legends but urban legends that comes from websites on the internet

so pretty much my mind been everywhere with overthinking alot of things with the brony community

than there is the fact that conventions like trotcon is expensive also i am not really dependent on myself but more on the people around me like family and friends

does that mean i am going though a mental crisis right now? 

also the fact that i never really been so honest with myself

do i need mental help or no? 

Edited March 2, 2018 by twilightfan

[twilightfan 12]

i feel like some sort of brony outcast as well for not being one of the original members of the brony community

and i think i might be what some considered as emo for being a stan who is a indie kid

Edited March 2, 2018 by twilightfan

[GuerrierCosmique 146]

Well, the Brony fandom surely is past it's prime now. It's best days were back in 2012. Since 2015, it's continually going down. But otherwise, everything rises and falls.

[Yotes 108]

I think all the horse famous folks of the past are just expanding their talents to all the other things they enjoy too. We're all in multiple fandoms I think, so a brony is still a brony at heart. But I can't blame some for dropping the label if it's hurting their career paths. 

I personally hope to see the day where the pony aesthetic and message of being good to each other carries over to things outside of MLP and ponies are just a thing the way furry/anthro is. Not tied to just one show, but a fandom about an idea anyone could play with and adapt.

[Jon the VGNerd 842]

I'm gonna be perfectly honest. While the fandom itself isn't dying, it's starting to show its age, one being the most notable. I'll give a full explanation why:

Around maybe 2012, there was a large streaming show and radio known as Everfree Radio (also known as Everfree Network), which had a huge volume of viewers and listeners, along with famous livestream shows being aired, including Saturday Night Songs which featured Michelle Creber, along with the others including FinalDraft, a staff member of EFR/EFN. There was also OsakaJack, who hosted a show with special guests (celebrities and highly-valued artists alike) and, since he lives in Japan, his show is usually pre-recorded. In addition, there was the Cutie Art Crusaders (or CAC for short), a show of four art critiques making comments regarding arts from different artists. Then you have DustyKatt, who used to air every Monday as well commenting on recent episodes and bringing in special guests, along with Everfree Songs which featured hosts including Forest Rain who makes reviews of remixed songs from music artists including The Living Tombstone.

Of course, these shows have started to decline in 2015 as a result of FinalDraft (or another founder) to stray away from their streaming media and scheduling conflicts for other hosts and, one by one, their shows have grounded to a halt. For good. Saturday Night Songs had soon ceased suddenly, most likely due to real-life issues plaguing around, an OsakaJack not doing anymore future shows due to his tight work schedule and instead handed his show over to Sakura Cheetah and DolceKitty, both who are also from Japan and future shows were now exclusive to Japanese language only (though even the show itself has long since ended since Japan has a niche amount of bronies over there), and DustyKatt stopped airing his show for unknown reasons (most likely either retiring or having moved to new things). Cutie Art Crusaders have moved their show to Picarto.TV for the time being.

Then there was Canterlot Hill, an "upgrade" from EFN (or so it seemed). There was a sheer decline of viewers and shows were too few and far between, along with radio shows as well. And around mid-2015, Canterlot Hill was no more. Poor management coupled with shows being nonexistent due to veteran hosts no longer having any interest in airing future shows meant that the fandom has dealt a severe blow for many, myself included. Even though MLP continued to strive on, many had moved on. Even the Cutie Art Crusaders closed their chapters forever on Picarto.TV after airing their final episode, meaning that even though MLP has future seasons ahead, the show regarding art critiques had decided to call a permanent end. And this has left a huge gash on the fandom as a result of Canterlot Hill's sudden departure.

Even veteran song artists like WoodenToaster, Aviators, Odyssey Eurobeat and Archie had since having lost interest in producing remix songs based on the show itself and has moved on to better things since then. I could be wrong, though while there are indeed new artists willing to make remixed songs, other veterans had long since went on a different path.

 

Now, that's my explanation regarding the fandom. While its still going strong as of now, it's left a huge blow from its past events. The most notable one being Canterlot Hill's premature departure. I haven't seen a single word of any streaming shows ever since Everfree Network's later departure and Canterlot Hill's premature end. I understand people will object me, but sadly, this was indeed true.

[twilightfan 12]

On 3/3/2018 at 7:16 AM, Spacbatalanto said:

Well, the Brony fandom surely is past it's prime now. It's best days were back in 2012. Since 2015, it's continually going down. But otherwise, everything rises and falls.

yeah ik it's just i am very confused with the internet and the brony community right now it happen with all my favorite cartoons from my preteens as well as others that started afterwards

 

On 3/7/2018 at 4:44 PM, Yotes said:

I think all the horse famous folks of the past are just expanding their talents to all the other things they enjoy too. We're all in multiple fandoms I think, so a brony is still a brony at heart. But I can't blame some for dropping the label if it's hurting their career paths. 

I personally hope to see the day where the pony aesthetic and message of being good to each other carries over to things outside of MLP and ponies are just a thing the way furry/anthro is. Not tied to just one show, but a fandom about an idea anyone could play with and adapt.

oh ok mlp is my main fandom community right now before it was mostly random anime and video games and did'nt really had a fandom i was very active socially online like the brony community also with me being more into alt metal and alt rock than other music genres especially with green day being my favorite band and ozzy osbourne being my favorite singer 

 

On 3/7/2018 at 11:01 PM, Jon the VGNerd said:

I'm gonna be perfectly honest. While the fandom itself isn't dying, it's starting to show its age, one being the most notable. I'll give a full explanation why:

Around maybe 2012, there was a large streaming show and radio known as Everfree Radio (also known as Everfree Network), which had a huge volume of viewers and listeners, along with famous livestream shows being aired, including Saturday Night Songs which featured Michelle Creber, along with the others including FinalDraft, a staff member of EFR/EFN. There was also OsakaJack, who hosted a show with special guests (celebrities and highly-valued artists alike) and, since he lives in Japan, his show is usually pre-recorded. In addition, there was the Cutie Art Crusaders (or CAC for short), a show of four art critiques making comments regarding arts from different artists. Then you have DustyKatt, who used to air every Monday as well commenting on recent episodes and bringing in special guests, along with Everfree Songs which featured hosts including Forest Rain who makes reviews of remixed songs from music artists including The Living Tombstone.

Of course, these shows have started to decline in 2015 as a result of FinalDraft (or another founder) to stray away from their streaming media and scheduling conflicts for other hosts and, one by one, their shows have grounded to a halt. For good. Saturday Night Songs had soon ceased suddenly, most likely due to real-life issues plaguing around, an OsakaJack not doing anymore future shows due to his tight work schedule and instead handed his show over to Sakura Cheetah and DolceKitty, both who are also from Japan and future shows were now exclusive to Japanese language only (though even the show itself has long since ended since Japan has a niche amount of bronies over there), and DustyKatt stopped airing his show for unknown reasons (most likely either retiring or having moved to new things). Cutie Art Crusaders have moved their show to Picarto.TV for the time being.

Then there was Canterlot Hill, an "upgrade" from EFN (or so it seemed). There was a sheer decline of viewers and shows were too few and far between, along with radio shows as well. And around mid-2015, Canterlot Hill was no more. Poor management coupled with shows being nonexistent due to veteran hosts no longer having any interest in airing future shows meant that the fandom has dealt a severe blow for many, myself included. Even though MLP continued to strive on, many had moved on. Even the Cutie Art Crusaders closed their chapters forever on Picarto.TV after airing their final episode, meaning that even though MLP has future seasons ahead, the show regarding art critiques had decided to call a permanent end. And this has left a huge gash on the fandom as a result of Canterlot Hill's sudden departure.

Even veteran song artists like WoodenToaster, Aviators, Odyssey Eurobeat and Archie had since having lost interest in producing remix songs based on the show itself and has moved on to better things since then. I could be wrong, though while there are indeed new artists willing to make remixed songs, other veterans had long since went on a different path.

 

Now, that's my explanation regarding the fandom. While its still going strong as of now, it's left a huge blow from its past events. The most notable one being Canterlot Hill's premature departure. I haven't seen a single word of any streaming shows ever since Everfree Network's later departure and Canterlot Hill's premature end. I understand people will object me, but sadly, this was indeed true.

which explains why me and among others was dwelling and are still dwelling on the past of the brony fandom because of being so confused and unaware of the direction the fandom been heading towards since i joined the brony fandom around 2015 and why there are less brony musicians than in it's hayday and thinking those of us who joined around and/or after these events happened joined the fandom too late or something like that?  that's also might be the reason my favorite brony internet radio station wonderbolt radio(mostly because it was the only rock-focused brony radio station i knew about) don't really exist anymore? 

[twilightfan 12]

somebody has just joined the brony fandom because of how it's dead right now to the point that this brony youtuber named forgotten dreams left the brony fandom and it upsets me that nobody will do anything about it this fandom was once the perfect fandom for autistic people now it's not 

 

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,151]

Honestly; what can be done? If anything the brony fandom is FAR from dead, but there has been contraction. That is undeniable, but this is something many fandoms experience in one form or another.

Rather than bemoan the decline of the fandom, look to the bright side of things. We still have a vibrant art, story, and music community that still produces great content, we have many episodes still to go, and so on. Again, we have declined, but you can't expect a fandom to retains the levels that were reached at its peak. Even then, we're far from death.

[twilightfan 12]

9 minutes ago, PathfinderCS said:

Honestly; what can be done? If anything the brony fandom is FAR from dead, but there has been contraction. That is undeniable, but this is something many fandoms experience in one form or another.

Rather than bemoan the decline of the fandom, look to the bright side of things. We still have a vibrant art, story, and music community that still produces great content, we have many episodes still to go, and so on. Again, we have declined, but you can't expect a fandom to retains the levels that were reached at its peak. Even then, we're far from death.

yes i understand but i feel i am the only one that cares enough that i put how i feel about it to tell others that this isn't mortally right this is not what the staff of mlp:fim wanted i care more about the fandom than the show unlike most bronies who come to this forum to feel better i am concerned and feels betrayed not bemoaning anything especially with how people kept on saying it's not dead if it's not dead none of this stuff would of happen so you are both right at a certain extant and wrong at a certain extant because i am a normie alt-anarchist who was giving me good faith now all it gives me is hatred for being around people that don't truly care for the mlp:fim community have you even watched the whole video before giving your full thoughts and replying to me? 

Edited April 20, 2018 by twilightfan

[Kaneki 1,072]

I always get on fandoms late, huh? D:

Even with what Pathfinder said, the fandom could sure as well continue on into the next generation. Who knows, this might be just the beginning.

[Sliding Bolt 4,358]

I definitely wouldn’t call it dead. It’s not quite what it was a while ago and that’s normal but dead? Of course not there are still millions of us out there.