What will happen to the MLP Fandom in the future?

[Splashee 28,537]

Fandoms depend on fans, not on the doms. MLP is a brand that will continue long after we are dead. But it is up to us to keep the term Brony alive, but showing up at places like this forum, post, and stay. The "stay" part is important.

[Codelyy 1,281]

I imagine this forum will stick around for quite awhile. It's going to be an emotional day when it does eventually close 

I also imagine the forum will pick up again after Gen 5 starts. That does depend on if it catches peoples attention just as much as Gen 4 did.

[Splashee 28,537]

14 hours ago, Codelyy said:

I also imagine the forum will pick up again after Gen 5 starts

This forum depends on other factors for popularity, than for the show. That's why it was slightly more active during the hiatus of FIM seasons. It's a little bit complicated to explain.

 

As for Generation 5. When it arrives, it will either be popular or not popular. It will not be something in between. My guess is, a few Bronies will try to keep the "spirit" going. But it will eventually be overflowed by a new group of younger people, with new ideas of how to love a pony, and they will not associate themselves with Bronies, in the same way that the Bronies didn't associate themselves with past generations (unless making fun of them, or do the whole "distance themselves" so that they won't be seen as little girls).

 

The absolute problem with G5 will be its release time. If it is going to be a huge following like FIM was in the beginning, it needs to not be like every other show, or video game that is currently coming out. It is timing.

 

I am not here because I am waiting for G5. I am here because I love FIM (and will probably do for some time)

[Props Valroa 26,040]

It will change and evolve naturally. I think it has become much smaller though.

[MysticWolficorn 76]

It will still be there, though not as loud as before.

[Splashee 28,537]

Future is always bad, and past is always the best. Nostalgia will always win! You rock ol' MLP FIM!

[Midnight Danny 9,023]

The mlp fandom will never die! 

I can feel that!

[ToastedScone 382]

I've actually been really interested in this kind of thought, as I've seen people I know were previously NEVER interested in MLP finding the CGI pictures we've seen really interesting! It's entirely possible that G5 might form a fandom that's somewhat separate from G4 and the bronies (kind of similar to G1 collectors who are ONLY interested in G1 content) that doesn't interact much at all with the surviving G4 community...but in the same breath, current G4 fans might enjoy the G5 content and keep the fandom going into this new show, making the current fandom last longer.

Another example I find interesting is the Naruto and Boruto situation, as a similar fandom split could happen with G5; fans from G4 dislike the new show and few stay around to watch it, so the fandom ends up being comprised of people who perhaps weren't interested in ponies at all until bronies declared it to be nowhere near as good as G4...or on the other side of the coin again, it could be like Legend of Korra where fans of the older and newer shows tend to be the same people who were there from old. (from experience online, I've never actually been involved in the fandom so feel free to correct me on this).

As for me personally? I've loved ponies since mid G3 when I was a kid, so I'll likely stay here regardless of the quality of G5, as I'm rarely vehemently hateful of new versions of things I like (I'm stupidly easy to please when it comes to media I enjoy ), so I doubt I'll be falling out of the fandom any time soon!

[Happy Heart 307]

1 hour ago, ToastedScone said:

I doubt I'll be falling out of the fandom any time soon!

To go along with what ToastedScone said, this new gen brings in a whole new herd of pony lovers. I for one am greatly pleased with the response my fellows bronies show to what Hasbro plans for the brand. I think MLP is in for a bright future. Like Scone, it'll be unlikely to see me go away anytime soon! 

[n1029 224]

Yeah, this fandom clearly ain't going nowhere. Pretty impressive tbh how the art community exploded with material after just a few stills and video for the new generation were released.

Edited March 1, 2021 by n1029

[Landi 597]

Considering how this fandom has surged back into popularity as of recently could be a good sign. All the analysis, theories, and artwork that has just been put out shows some promise in this fandom's future. Now I will say, a big part of this is dependent on if g5 is actually good or not. If it does turn out to be good, then I think this fandom will stay fairly strong. However, if g5 isn't good, then the fandom may start to die back down again. I do hope it ends up being well made, but as of now we don't actually know how it will be executed.

[Twilight Sparkle ✨ 8,520]

On 2020-09-28 at 7:49 PM, Codelyy said:

I imagine this forum will stick around for quite awhile. It's going to be an emotional day when it does eventually close 

Out of curiosity, what gives you the impression that MLP Forums will be around "for quite awhile"?

I have every hope of it being a long-lasting site myself too - I don't ask this to cast doubt on that. But I'm very curious to hear what gives you that impression as a user, what your ideas about a site's longevity are rooted in.

It is a good impression to have; you could say I have a vested interest in knowing what creates it as we all tend to like investing ourselves emotionally and temporally into things with staying power.

[doomie-22 17]

On 2018-06-14 at 6:41 AM, Sondash Studios said:

I'm just hoping more people will join so it won't die. We could really need another MLP boom like the one in 2013.

I wouldn't worry about that if I were you. It seems to me that what little was left of the brony fandom after the series finale kinda  . . . collapsed the instant the news that G5 was going the full-on Soviet propaganda-style narrative approach to writing.  

Several channels on YouTube that mentioned it were full of former bronies declaring themselves absolutely done. 

Edited March 9, 2021 by doomie-22

[Happy Heart 307]

1 hour ago, doomie-22 said:

I wouldn't worry about that if I were you. It seems to me that what little was left of the brony fandom after the series finale kinda  . . . collapsed the instant the news that G5 was going the full-on Soviet propaganda-style narrative approach to writing.  

Several channels on YouTube that mentioned it were full of former bronies declaring themselves absolutely done.

Living up to your username, aren't you, doomie? Is it that bad now? 

[North Star 4,540]

Answered this question quite a bit so all I will say here is that the movie this year is looking like the most exciting thing to happen in the fandom for years and the G4 series are still bringing people in... the internet is an engine for getting people into fandoms and the brony content was really good.

Long and short of it is that the future is unpredictable. We might be just before another boom  Getting to welcome in all the new ponies will be fun if that happens.  When I joined MLP fandom it was towards the end of S2 and people were already saying the fandom had peaked back then and I was all jealous of the old timers who had created all this content. This time I will be the old timer and can welcome the G5-ers to MLP!  

[Misty Shadow 7,084]

On 2021-03-08 at 10:38 PM, doomie-22 said:

I wouldn't worry about that if I were you. It seems to me that what little was left of the brony fandom after the series finale kinda  . . . collapsed the instant the news that G5 was going the full-on Soviet propaganda-style narrative approach to writing.  

Several channels on YouTube that mentioned it were full of former bronies declaring themselves absolutely done. 

ok doomer 

Seriously, former bronies have been declaring themselves absolutely done for at least eight years and we're all still here. That's because like what's already been said, MLP is a franchise that will not be discontinued any time soon and a franchise will always have fans. G5 could be a masterpiece and bronies would still find things to complain about. Good or bad, some people are going to be disappointed by it and move on to other things while other people stay. You can't kill a fandom. 

[Happy Heart 307]

2 hours ago, CloudMistDragon said:

Seriously, former bronies have been declaring themselves absolutely done for at least eight years and we're all still here. That's because like what's already been said, MLP is a franchise that will not be discontinued any time soon and a franchise will always have fans. G5 could be a masterpiece and bronies would still find things to complain about. Good or bad, some people are going to be disappointed by it and move on to other things while other people stay. You can't kill a fandom. 

See, why can't doomie take their cues from you? 

[Splashee 28,537]

On 2021-03-01 at 3:18 PM, Landi72 said:

However, if g5 isn't good, then the fandom may start to die back down again. I do hope it ends up being well made, but as of now we don't actually know how it will be executed.

If G5 isn't good, G4 is still considered good and by counting on the childhood nostalgia factor, we will probably have a second wave of older brones coming back at one point. It almost always happens with anything that is good, that people grow out of, finds other stuff, then realizes they missed the old times.

[doomie-22 17]

On 2021-03-09 at 1:29 AM, Happy Heart said:

Living up to your username, aren't you, doomie? Is it that bad now? 

What?

6 hours ago, CloudMistDragon said:

.You can't kill a fandom. 

No, the series did that well enough on its own thanks to stupid shit like alicorn Twilight and reforming despicable characters like Discord and Starlight Glimmer that deserve nothing but to catapulted into the sun after what they did. . 

[Evil Pink One 12,977]

Theres money in the franchise.... Hasbro ain't that dumb to lose it. And they've already learned on transformers franchise......right?

[Evil Pink One 12,977]

18 hours ago, doomie-22 said:

What?

No, the series did that well enough on its own thanks to stupid shit like alicorn Twilight and reforming despicable characters like Discord and Starlight Glimmer that deserve nothing but to catapulted into the sun after what they did. . 

Someone didnt learn about friendship o ow..... Turn this one to stone....salt rock please

[Fluttershutter 2,118]

I don't know but

Madame Pinkie says it will be awesome!

 

[Evil Pink One 12,977]

Theres a brony war happening at 4 chan..... Expect population boost here in the forums

[Shigaraki 270]

The only time l think the fandom will die out(well adult fandom) if MLP in the future animation doesn't look so good anymore and its over the top childish. If that ever happens.

[Fluttershyfan94 5,738]

I believe may pretty much fade out of existence. There was a time where this fandom and this forum was overflowing constantly adding new members endless topics and posts so many status updates. Nowadays however well I guess the hype was there in the 2012 and I am glad I could experience it becoming as popular as it did. Yet let's not fool ourselves the fandom is significantly different from what it was. I believe most are now the hardcore fans and the new fans. There lacks the casual fan which would be the majority, you usually wouldn't see much other then on equestriadaily and the conventions. 

So the future well it'll be a small niche fandom of bronies still holding onto it. Yet of course I have stuck around for a while but that being said the fans I knew pretty much majority of them have all gone inactive sadly. 

Given there might be some brony parents it isnt unlikely that some of their kids may become bronies. Yet the fandom itself well I don't know, how long will you stick around for? I believe majority of the posters here will have become inactive in two years perhaps some of you may continue to consider yourself fans then eventually it'll be "I was a brony haha, you were too? Wow good times right" as is the truth for most fandoms they become niche then eventually memories. I want to believe the fandom will live on forever yet I realize that it keeps changing users for a reason. Most of you do eventually stop being bronies simply an observation of the forum as well as the fandom. Many of the former brony musicians the big ones most have already turned to making different music yet the brony fandom is what gave their music career that boost to success though so yeah. Lets hope most of you will stay for a while.