Current status of the fandom

[Genepool 224]

What are your thoughts on our fandom at the moment? Are we still growing by leaps and bounds? Or are we suffering a shrinkage with S2 over and done with, half-way into S3? 

 

The main reason I ask this question is due to the few blogs/posts that I see pop up of people saying they are stopping their work cause they feel MLPFIM influences it too much.  Most recent example was Mr. Poninator saying he was not going to do anymore fan made flash animation due to it taking over his life. 

 

As for my opinion, I am unsure of what to think.  There's no way i'm leaving the fandom since it's really helped to drive me.  Started back in March/April where some people on another forum challenged me to watch the show, *insert obligatory challenge accepted image*.  I watched the first season's episodes, and then eagerly awaited Season 2.  It was during S2 that I tried my hand at art, slowly becoming better and better at it.  Just recently started uploading fan fiction to FimFiction to gain skills with my first story being well received which has made me happy. 

 

With S3 proceeding on a rocky path, in my opinion due to S3E1&2 not being too well received, it does dishearten me to see a sort of peak/plateau potentially being reached.  Not going to go chicken little here and cry "the sky is falling," but I do want to face potential reality if the fandom has stopped its initial growth.  However, to contradict myself, it does please me that news articles view us in a positive light and send people our way.  Not to mention Derpy being the fourth most searched toy according to Google Zeitgeist. 

 

Anyways, as the top says, what are your thoughts on the current status of the fandom?

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,695]

I think the fandom is doing great. It doesn't have to be constantly growing or spreading some great message across the land to make me happy. Like it says in my sig, I don't sweat the fandom. I'm just happy to be a part of it.

[khaine21x3 789]

I think that I might possibly leave the fandom in the future because the bronies made me realize what I'm missing in life and they've inspired me to do things that I never thought of doing before.I would like to take this opportunity to thank the great fandom and all the artists/musicians.

[Starshine 16,333]

People comes and goes in this community. It is unfortunate, but that's how any community goes. Each artists leaving will have their own personal reasons, but that doesn't mean that there will be no new artists joining the fandom. We might not be able too see the new guys yet, but surely sooner or later we will see a new generation of pony artists rising

 

This fandom is still healthy and going. Of course we will start to see the more senior bronies start to leave one by one, either it's boredom or something else, but we will also have new bronies to keep things fresh. Hell, even this not-so-little-but-not-very-big forum got it's own share of old members be inactive and new members flooding in. You need some faith :V

[Leafeon 2,702]

 

The fandom is perfectly fine. People in a large fandom just generally get worried about small things, but it doesn't murder the fandom.

Edited December 15, 2012 by Firebolt

[Shanks 10,816]

I think we are growing and if things keep going the way they are going we will continue to grow, yes some people will leave occasionally for their own reasons addiction being a very unfortunate yet understandable reason but that dosen't mean that some of them won't come back. My brother for example has been a huge fan of Warcraft for a very long time in high school he became so addicted to it that he almost flunked out so he stopped playing for a while because he felt it was taking over his life. He started playing again though when he felt he had more control over it and has been fairly responsible with that interest ever since.

[Dusty Soul 2,611]

The fandom is perfectly fine.  I mean it's still growing, especially with the new season coming out.  If people leave then people leave, others will come and take their place.

[Zacharias 191]

If I were to count how many times I was just an inch away from leaving for various reasons, I'd be here forever. I'm never sure enough if it's worth sticking to the fandom, because look at me. Noone knows me, or what I do, I can't do anything to change that. I can't make wonderful fanart, or compose wonderful music, I have no way of getting in touch with anyone. The only two bronies I got to talk to (although one of them is slowly dropping out) were because I've applied as a composer for two fangames, besides working on my own project.

However, games are the least appreciated product in here, even though they can take years to make as opposed to music and stuff.

And on the negative side I have the closet brony thing. I've been living as a paranoid for more than a year now, because if my secret was to be discovered, my life would be over. So I'm literally playing with fire here, and I'm not sure if it's worth it.

[~Master~ Button Mash 2,307]

You kidding? The Brony community is doing great. I've never seen a fandom quite like this before. If there's been a decrease in overall activity I haven't seen it. This is one of the most fast-paced communities around. Sometimes it's hard to keep up, but I enjoy a challenge. Sure, it can be a little intimidating for up-and-coming artists of all different mediums at first, especially if a lot of your ideas have already done. But to me that's just inspiration to dig even deeper into the ol' grey matter and come up with something truly original.

 

Of course, I've only been here for about a month, so I may not be in a position to make evaluations. I have, however, kind of watches the growth of the Brony community from outside the herd for about a year now, and from what I've seen I think we're in a good place.

[Wubsie 1,123]

The fandom is in its prime with season three just beginning. Whoever says the fandom is dead must be crazy. This fandom is wonderful and too powerful to just die out. We're one of the best ransoms out there.

[DusK 1,264]

The fandom seems to be doing fine for what it is. It's got some problems in certain areas (I'm most familiar with the issues surrounded fandom music), but it's still about the love of the show. The art scene's always been alive and kicking, and doesn't seem to show any signs of slowing down.

 

I personally don't see myself keeping the momentum I've had over the past three months in the fandom's music scene, though. Actively participating in it has yielded a few observations that have been just killing my enthusiasm for doing brony music as of late.

Edited December 15, 2012 by ItStartsAtDusK