Generation 5 - Good or Bad?

[Mirad 217]

Alright, well, quick thoughts on this.

 

Before I start, I'll put it out - HASBRO sucks at making certain types of pony toys.

So, here we go:

 

I got the Idea that maybe G5 won't be as good as some predict-- What if Hasbro goes back to girly, princess-y toys and TV again? What if they don't?

 

I'd like to put out some points and questions here:

 

1 - Yes, G4 is different, but Lauren put that impact on it. Hasbro might have just done the same thing again; Girly, childish, mind-wrecking cartoons http://mlpforums.com/public/style_emoticons/default/dry.png

 

2 - MLP is a money maker, not only do we buy the toys and movies, but parents do too. Could this mean Hasbro may continue to make MLP like it is now? Family-based and enjoyable?

 

3 - Many people can't think of G4 ending. What if G4 was a returning factor, as in the same base cartoon, but what if it is just a money-making copy of the Generations we didn't approve of; G3 and G3.5? Would you still watch and support it?

 

4 - Yes, many bronies will remember MLP:FiM after it's off air (people still remember DBZ), but think if most don't and our fanbase declines. Hasbro may steer off from what it has going for our current cartoon. Keep the fanbase up! Just to keep the style we want and enjoy!

 

 

So, again, if G5 is just the plain old tea parties and dress-ups we knew from our last Generation, what if it returns?

 

Just wondering about you're thoughts on this...

[Creamy Arty 6,252]

What if there is no generation 5? The current iteration of the show and toy lines has been the most profitable one by a long shot. Hasbro has gone out of their way to bring adult men My Little Pony toys and programming catered specifically to them, and have turned a blind eye to some of our fandom's activities that could be infringing on trademarks and patents. They recognize how unusual we are, have probably learned something new about the nature of marketing, and have made tons of money from us. They must also realize that any future generations will be failures by comparison and that they need to keep this one alive for as long as possible, at least from a profitability perspective. When this one runs its course, however long that may take, they could very well decide to leave the franchise alone rather than taking such a significant risk as restructuring it into something else, whether that's a return to the old styles or an entirely new direction, or trying to recapture what this generation was. Things like that have been done before with other franchises and often with terrible results. The Hasbro guys seem smart enough to know that a fifth generation could be, shall we say... beating a dead horse.

[Mirad 217]

What if there is no generation 5? The current iteration of the show and toy lines has been the most profitable one by a long shot. Hasbro has gone out of their way to bring adult men My Little Pony toys and programming catered specifically to them, and have turned a blind eye to some of our fandom's activities that could be infringing on trademarks and patents. They recognize how unusual we are, have probably learned something new about the nature of marketing, and have made tons of money from us. They must also realize that any future generations will be failures by comparison and that they need to keep this one alive for as long as possible, at least from a profitability perspective. When this one runs its course, however long that may take, they could very well decide to leave the franchise alone rather than taking such a significant risk as restructuring it into something else, whether that's a return to the old styles or an entirely new direction, or trying to recapture what this generation was. Things like that have been done before with other franchises and often with terrible results. The Hasbro guys seem smart enough to know that a fifth generation could be, shall we say... beating a dead horse.

 

Pun intended?

Yes, I see the point there, But if you look back, G1 and G2 have similar details to each other, and they worked out fine (especially for the small lengths of un-popular cartoons back in the day). I'm not saying copying would be a success, but it would be a notion. Maybe something similar would be a way to keep it alive?

[Twiliscael 3,960]

I agree, I highly doubt that it will live up to generation 4 and unfortunately that means that a ton of people (bronies) will stop making them money. The smart business move would be to drag this generation out as far as possible and a little farther and then possibly end the whole series. They'll still make some money off of their toys that way. Then, in a couple years, revive the show with a new generation. By then alot of people will no longer consider themselves bronies and they will have made the profit from their previous generation. That is probably the best idea business-wise.

[AnonBrony 1,468]

If Lauren didn't make it, then it wil never be as good as G4. I'll watch it. If its good i'll keep watching it. But i doubt it will be good. HASBRO is one of those companies that don't care aslong as they make money off it. So if they don't get a good studio, or a good creator, i doubt it will live up to G4. But u never know. The person who makes it will probably want to pitch it as good as Lauren did. I doubt it will be as good, it might be decent though. Not like G3.5.

 

But its probably gonna be ba though. i will watch it just incase. Hell, if i have a daughter at the time i might watch it with her.

[silvadel 1,393]

If they do a generation after this it would probably be a 4.5 where they have an older mane six who can trot out to face the really big evils and a new generation of ponies (probably including the CMC but with their cutie marks) which would be the main focus. In essence it would be a reversal from what we have now where the mane 6 are the focus and the younger generation is the sideline.

[murkyx 904]

It depends on how far the G4 fandom goes and how strong it's ties to the show have become by the eventual, but not to come soon, end of the series.

 

The line between show and fandom has been severely blurred just over the first few years of G4's existence, and with several more predicted, with the brony fandom leaking into so many crevices of the Hasbro headquarters, they probably would want to move onto G5 to still ride on that money train that has given them so much income. If bronies are going to be as big as I believe they will be, they will have a very large influence on Hasbro and it's decisions for who will be in charge of the new series.

 

I predict that because of this, G5 will be original. Definitely not G4, but unique and special in it's own way. In which I predict a new generation of bronies would appear, and the fandom would be seperated by a blurred line of fans of both shows. However, our sense of unity as fans probably will keep us together, and many cross-over fics and animations will ensue, with the music community just given more material to sing about.

 

And if Hasbro blows G5, we'll ignore it and go our own path, and make our own spin off series and fan works. And it will all be Hasbro's loss so maybe then they'll learn a lesson if they haven't learned anything at all.

[silvadel 1,393]

Well you see the point of generation 4.5 is that they can always slip back if they blow it, and it gives them completely new versions of everything to sell...

 

IE right now you have 20ish year old mane 6 dolls.

 

In generation 4.5 they would have 40ish year old mane 6 stuff and say bunches of new 20 year old new things.

 

*IF* people preferred the old, they could just focus back onto the mane 6 and the only difference would be that they would be more mature ponies -- hence a safety net. And regardless they would get to meter content to both groups of people.

 

----

 

They could also always do like what was done in the fanfiction of "Duties" and promote the mane 6 to alicorns. This would still allow dual roles (IE they now rule equestria -- BUT unlike celestia and luna they could always go out into the field and kick some flanks with the elements)

[Bulletproof 1]

Quite frankly, I won't be too broken up if G5 sucks (assuming there ever even is one). Of course, the curiosity of the bronies would be too great than to just let it slip by without taking a glance, but if it isn't that good... so what? I think that most bronies would agree with me that the #1 thing that I love about this show is the fan community, and that isn't going to go ANYWHERE.

 

Take, for example, Invader Zim. That show was cancelled TEN years ago (Probably makes some of you feel old, right? I'm laughing with you, not at you.) and it STILL has one of the biggest cult followings of any cartoon ever created, even outdoing some of the more recently cancelled cartoons that were just as successful, if not more so, in their heyday. Over 3500 fan submissions of Invader Zim were put up on Deviantart in the last month. That's more than 100 a day. So I can rest assured, knowing that even if this show gets cancelled and they move on to some girly trash for G5, that the things I most enjoy- the thousands upon thousands of fan creations- will still be there.

 

But do keep in mind, with how popular this cartoon is, it might not be going anywhere for a while. We got that subtle hint from Daniel Ingram that there are still "seasons" around the corner, not just the single "season" that so many fear as being the final one. I mean, look at Spongebob Squarepants. Thirteen years old (feel old yet?) and still going strong, for better or worse. If anything, we might have to worry that FiM would start to go stale rather than go away.

 

In short, it won't be the end of the world if G4 goes away and is replaced with a cruddy followup, and it might actually be better than the alternative of FiM going bad.

[silvadel 1,393]

As far as I am concerned they could Simpsons G4 of My Little Ponies and keep it on for 20 years. What is the real reason that it ever really has to die anyway?

[Zygen 6,066]

I honestly don't think they're going to bother making a G5 if they run out of ideas for G4 or whatever reason end it I don't know if they'll be able to make a better generation then this one.

It sells well they make money they get tons of views and rating and a crazy awesome and pretty dang large fanbase.

What more could they want? Why change what works?

[SrFrog 927]

Children want their toys to be more complex and modern, which leeds me to believe that if Hasbro wants their toys to remain relevant they'll have to keep up with trends. This doesn't mean that G5 will be an immediate success but they shouldn't stale the product by clinging to the current generation.

[Dusty Soul 2,611]

I can't really see a G5, but I can see a G4.5, with an older mane 6 and everything. If they did make a G5 I think it definitely wouldn't do as well as G4. I mean this is going to be the high point of MLP...

[Paleopony 702]

It's probably going to be good from the looks of it.

[EpicEnergy 23,218]

I'm hoping it will be good, and it does look like it will be!