I said this was going to happen. I didn't want to be right. I really didn't. I was hoping that Hasbro was just taking time out to go through all the custom pony design ideas from the Pony Project contest and from that pull out a new line.

My hopes were dashed.

I knew this was coming. I said as much when Ponyville first started. I told everyone in the pony community that if Ponyville outsells the standard ponies that major changes to the line would come. Most of the responses to my statement were along the lines of 'Oh no! Hasbro would never do that! Why would they? They can keep the two lines going at the same time. The cost to radically change the look of the G3 ponies would be enormous. Would it really be worth it?'

Obviously someone thought so.

Do I blame the supporters and buyers of Ponyville for the new look of MLP? No. You go love your miniature ponies all you want. I blame Hasbro. And the concept of 'rebranding'. It's most prevelant in the comic book industery, in which a particular comic series such as Iron Man, Batman, X-Men, etc. goes through a radical redo every 5 years or so. Backstories get changes, costumes get teaked, old plot lines are shifted or outright dropped... Sometimes the comic becomes completely unrecognizible like when Superman died in the 90's and suddenly there's a blue-energy guy who suppose to be Superman. It's common practice these days.

Anyone who reads comics regularly and/or pays attention to the comic industry can see rebranding coming. It happens with a shift in editors, writers, or marketing heads. When sales go down plans slide into place to revamp the ailing line, creating new interest from buyers who go "Ooo! Lookie! Batman is dead and there's a fight to see which character will become the new Batman!" At least, that's what the company is hoping will happen.

And now it has struck MLP. Should the new line be refered to as G4? Absolutely. I don't think there's any question here. Hasbro is rebranding MLP and I think it's time to seperate the ponies from the past years that many of us have come to know and love and the new, basically, giant Ponyville ponies.

Will I buy? No. I didn't buy Ponyville because I didn't like the look of the toys and I'm not going to buy the new ponies because they look exactly like Ponyville only bigger. I'm still on the fence about the 'Cuties' line of baby ponies, which they seem to be keeping seperate from the other ponies. I might buy some of these, like Rainbow Dash's Room and the baby stroller. For the accessories mostly. Plushie Baby Starsong does look adorable with those wings spread out behind her. I might crack and buy her. So cute.

Although the wierd proportions of the babies' heads to their bodies makes more sense now with the new G4 line. HUGE heads and teeny-tiny bodies with big hooves.

And some thought the baby G3s looked silly like that...

And that was Peace's two-and-a-half cents.

Not a lot of replies to my respose. Mostly things like 'these are the ponies that my little girl are going to grow up with, so might as well get used to it'.

 

*archs an eyebrow*
 

Pop Toppers
Wierd little severed pony heads. The green-blue is suppose to be Rainbow Dash. The white is suppose to be Sunny Daze. Heh. ;)
 

 

Note from Peace: I don't like G2s. Anyone who knows who and what I am, knows that I despise these horrid, UGLY creatures. The only reason why I bought any of these were for the accessories. But, oddly enough, I have grown to accept my hatred of these things. By doing so I have grown attached to certain core members of my G2s. Especially ones that I developed personalities for.


G2 Pretty Parlor MIB
I might just as well accept that this thing is going to stay in my collection. No one seems to want it.

( More G2s within... If you dare... )

Pretty Ponies 2-pack newborn ponies
Once available at Family Dollar and Dollar General.
Dollar Tree also had these, though they had no manes at all and came with a doll.

( More attrocities behind the cut... )

Bath Set 2008

( More stuff inside... )