So today I was wondering, would MLP FIM been successful if it was released in the past? Picture it like this: It has the same art style, ambience, and characters. Nothing 90s, 80s style. Just like it is now. The internet is at an early age. Meaning no youtube or anything we know as of today. What I'm trying to get at is would it have had the same impact as it did in 2010 without 4chan, memes, fan art, fan vids, etc. If not then maybe it slowly could have but through word of mouth.
well, It wouldn't have been a fan then. I found it by accident on youtube. I think the fan base would be a lot smaller then it is today. The internet helped it spread like fire.
I was looking for a Bad Religion video. Saw a PMV for Supersonic. I thought, why not. punk lead to ponies. Who would have thought.
If you think about it like that, then maybe FiM wouldn't even have existed in the first place. Internet opened a pathway to more things than most people realize. ~Moved to Community Discussion~
Well, I think Pixel/Echo is right here. But to be honest. If it was held in comparison to the Transformers,G.I.Joe, and Xmen. It wouldn't have the same following at all as this generation. Since the media has had to soften up on children viewing material in the past 30 years. The cartoon action and violence, with a dark undertone. Like most 80's shows had. Would still capture more viewers... Animation's cool, but good story, coupled with more freedoms for the show to take it to any extreme? In the end MLF:FIM would remain a cornerstone market for girls... Still. But with some male watchers.
Basically all that has been said above here. The fandom would be a lot smaller. But then again, it might shoot up later when the internet was easier to get hold of. For example, it might run on for another few seasons, then all of a sudden people might spread it on the internet when it becomes easier to use, then the fandom might grow to where it is now, who knows...
Depends of how far back, if it was shown during the bronze age with future technology I am certain the majority of humans would worship ponies as gods.
I think it'd be very difficult to grow, too. After all, people who are watching the show might not be aware that other people like it due to their lack of connection to the rest of the world, they might feel more alone in their interest makng the "Word of mouth" method more unlikely. It'd be difficult to spread. So it's unlikely that it'd have a "fandom" of older viewers, more so just the odd guy or gal.
I think most would not be bronies.. I normally dont watch much TV and discovered MLP through the internet (well ok MLP was not available in the german Free TV at this time), so i dont think i would be a bronie without it. The overall community wouldnt be as a big as it is.
I agree with everything already said on this topic is this show did exist earlier than 2010 maybe even before Youtube existed then the fandom would either be very small or non existant.
It's time to be honest. Here in Italy, is usual to see old cartoons from 1960-1970-1980-early 1990. These cartoons are so unknown that I never found them anywhere except everyday on TV. Now, I'm not saying that MLP would make the same fate (if I should be honest, MLP:FiM would make the same fate if it was created here or in Japan.) But it wouldn't really be so famous right now, just look at the MLP movie from 1985, how many fanfictions/comics/t-shirts/everything else has been made from it? Pretty nothing.
I don't think that it'd have been as popular as it is today. The majority of the fans found it online. Only a few 'muricans actually discovered the show whilst watching the hub.
Hmm... Well I assume most bronies heard about the show through the net, so I doubt the fandom would be that big with only word of mouth. Regardless, I still think I'd watch the show if I heard about it.
It would have gone like the way of many of the best Cartoon Network shows that were out unfortunately, back in those days MLP was for girls and Transformers was Hasbro's way of giving something for boys as well. The shows were designed by Hasbro to literally just sell their products to girls and boys. So it wouldn't have had bronies or anything because those were very sex-role stereotyped times. It wasn't until people like us came along in this century to challenge these stereotypes that others realised, hey, maybe it's not just for little girls. Lauren Faust herself said she was proud of us as a fandom for doing this. But seriously, as for my CN point, Back then: And now there's like, what, 4-5 shows on there?
On the topic of seeing movies, I'm going to see The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug soon with my brother and father. So. Pumped.
