In 2006, Wizards of the Coast (WOTC) made a compelling argument for a My Little Pony role-playing game and miniature line as a means of reaching "a previously unexploited segment of the roleplaying game marketplace," girls ages 3 to 7. The press release argued that the game would be a draw for younger players, would provide "cooperative play" opportunities for girls, and act as a transitional game to Dungeons & Dragons. There was just one problem: it was all a joke. With the My Little Pony franchise grossing over $1 billion in gross sales in 2015 for WOTC’s parent company Hasbro, the possibility of a My Little Pony role-playing game is no laughing matter.
For the uninitiated, My Little Pony is about unicorns, pegasi, and ponies in a fantasy universe where monsters are real and friendship is magic. The latest iteration, led by Lauren Faust who also created The Powerpuff Girls, has launched a global movement that has swept up men and women, boys and girls in its fandom. It's got an adult sensibility but is bright and charming enough for kids, which is how "bronies" have popped up -- male fans of the show. Hasbro Studios executive director Brian Lenard explained how the franchise has evolved:
Given that the license is owned by Hasbro, the parent company of Wizards of the Coast, it's no surprise that there's a long line of merchandise to support the brand. But is a Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons-compatible My Little Pony role-playing supplement possible?
[h=3]The Role-Playing Game[/h]
Ironically, Wizards of Coast made the most compelling argument for a role-playing game as part of its 2006 April Fool's press release:
My Little Pony is no stranger to games. Simon Waters, Senior Vice President of Global Brand Licensing and Publishing at Hasbro, said in a press release:
The press release went on to explain the plans for 2013, including licensed merchandise from publishing to digital gaming, plush, and fashion & beauty:
There is a much broader audience for a My Little Pony game beyond little girls and the numbers back it up. The 2014 "State of the Herd" report of My Little Pony fandom estimates that fans with an average age of 20 range from 7 to 12 million in the United States alone, with 5 percent who also participate in Live Action Role-Playing (LARP) games and 20 percent participating in cosplay.
Still not convinced? Ponyfinder for Pathfinder's exceeded its Kickstarter goal by $16,000. And so did its sequel. A third is in the works that is over $7,000 past its goal. In addition to Ponyfinder, there are several other role-playing systems that have incorporated pony themes:
The April Fool's article also proposed a miniatures line compatible with Dungeons & Dragons miniatures. Thing is, miniatures already exist in the form of G4 Blind Bag Ponies.
G4 Blind Bag Ponies are pony figurines that are fully molded toys and about half the size of the 'regular' pony toys. With their molded hair they more closely resemble the character in the show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. 'Blind Bags' refers to the fact that these toys are mostly sold in "surprise" opaque packaging, as in you can't see what pony you are getting until you open her up. However collectors soon found that each bag had a number stamped on it indicating which pony was in each bag. Jordan Peacock on PEG Inc.'s boards gives more information on how these miniatures work with traditional fantasy gaming terrain:
For smaller scale miniatures more in line with 28mm humanoids there are several options to consider.
[/h]
John Frascotti, President of Hasbro Brands, laid out the My Little Pony blueprint: Toy & Game Product Innovation, Digital Media, Lifestyle Licensing and Immersive Entertainment Experiences. If there's a role-playing game, it seems that it most likely would fit in more than one category: a digital role-playing game would be a game innovation, digital media, and an immersive entertainment experience. There are rumors, but then trolling MLP fandom is a common Internet pastime, like the Kickstarter for a pony-focused dating sim that turned out to be an elaborate hoax.
Of course, the question of why there isn't a My Little Pony role-playing game can extend to all of Hasbro's licenses. Where's the Transformers game? G.I. Joe? It's clear that at least for the moment, Hasbro doesn't see "role-playing game" as a significant media channel to develop for its licensed properties.
That may change. Hasbro's approach to turning all of its franchises into transmedia properties has started to gain traction, most specifically with the Dungeons & Dragons film, which Hasbro considers a powerful enough brand that it was willing to go to court over the film rights.
There is also precedent for Wizards of the Coast to produce games from other properties, notably the short-lived Heroscape line. Wizards has also produced board games based on its properties, like the Magic: The Gathering board game...which looks a lot like Heroscape.
Of all the paths to game publication of a Hasbro franchise, the most likely means of getting an official game is through 3D printing and sub-licensing. Hasbro has already endorsed official My Little Pony miniatures through its partnership with Shapeways to launch SuperFanArt, with the pony franchise leading the effort. And that's not all:
We've come a long way from 2006, when My Little Pony was the butt of an April Fool's joke. The warm reception of Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons by players and Hasbro bodes well for future expansions that explore other brands. Here's what lead D&D developer Mike Mearls had to say on the subject:
If fans can start making their own Magic: The Gathering and My Little Pony miniatures and Wizards of the Coast is producing a Magic: The Gathering board game, a My Little Pony role-playing and miniature game seems more feasible than ever.
Mike "Talien" Tresca is a freelance game columnist, author, and communicator. You can follow him at Patreon.
For the uninitiated, My Little Pony is about unicorns, pegasi, and ponies in a fantasy universe where monsters are real and friendship is magic. The latest iteration, led by Lauren Faust who also created The Powerpuff Girls, has launched a global movement that has swept up men and women, boys and girls in its fandom. It's got an adult sensibility but is bright and charming enough for kids, which is how "bronies" have popped up -- male fans of the show. Hasbro Studios executive director Brian Lenard explained how the franchise has evolved:
What Lauren Faust brought to the table really helped redefine what My Little Pony was. It had become a bit saccharine and sweet, which was fine, but I don’t think it was able to cut through the clutter the way the new version has. This version introduced a deeper layer of mythology and a sort of irreverent sense of humor. It brought really iconic new characters to the brand.
Given that the license is owned by Hasbro, the parent company of Wizards of the Coast, it's no surprise that there's a long line of merchandise to support the brand. But is a Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons-compatible My Little Pony role-playing supplement possible?
[h=3]The Role-Playing Game[/h]
Ironically, Wizards of Coast made the most compelling argument for a role-playing game as part of its 2006 April Fool's press release:
Leveraging opportunities between Hasbro’s core girl brand and Wizards of the Coast’s most popular game formats, the My Little Pony RPG marks an exciting d20 experience for girls ages 3-7, a previously unexplored segment of the roleplaying game marketplace. The My Little Pony RPG uses the game system of the d20 Modern Roleplaying Game, featuring custom-designed ponies with rules for choosing a wide range of pony colors, hair styles, accessories such as “cutie marks,” and powers such as “rainbow flight” and “find-and-seek”. Containing both adventures (foiling the nefarious “Dark Rustler”) and adventure hooks (collecting the most butterflies and rainbow berries), the My Little Pony RPG core rulebook presents a fully detailed world, with such popular locations as Celebration Castle, Twinkle Twirl’s Dance Studio, and the Cotton Candy Café.
My Little Pony is no stranger to games. Simon Waters, Senior Vice President of Global Brand Licensing and Publishing at Hasbro, said in a press release:
The MY LITTLE PONY brand is experiencing explosive growth paving the way for highly thoughtful licensing programs that further extend the brand engagement in new and meaningful ways for millions of young girls around the globe.
The press release went on to explain the plans for 2013, including licensed merchandise from publishing to digital gaming, plush, and fashion & beauty:
From flipping the pages of the My Little Pony: The Elements of Harmony: Friendship is Magic: The Official Guidebook from Little Brown Books for Young Readers to swiping the screens of iOS and Android devices to hanging out and interacting with TWILIGHT SPARKLE and friends playing the MY LITTLE PONY game app by Gameloft, Hasbro continues to enlist licensees that deliver an unmatched level of creativity and imagination to the magical MY LITTLE PONY world.
There is a much broader audience for a My Little Pony game beyond little girls and the numbers back it up. The 2014 "State of the Herd" report of My Little Pony fandom estimates that fans with an average age of 20 range from 7 to 12 million in the United States alone, with 5 percent who also participate in Live Action Role-Playing (LARP) games and 20 percent participating in cosplay.
Still not convinced? Ponyfinder for Pathfinder's exceeded its Kickstarter goal by $16,000. And so did its sequel. A third is in the works that is over $7,000 past its goal. In addition to Ponyfinder, there are several other role-playing systems that have incorporated pony themes:
- Laser Ponies is for girls and boys alike, and is the first all-ages role-playing game from Hex Games. It uses the QAGS system, but you do not have to own the QAGS rulebook-the QAGS Qik Start rules, which tell you everything you need to know to play the game, are included in the back of the book. Also included are rules for Pony Power, 40 story ideas, sample characters, illustrations by up-and-coming young artist Katie Staffiera, and a character sheet.
- The Savage World of My Little Pony is the culmination of over a year and half of work by numerous authors who contributed to its continuing evolution since its conception in early February of 2011.
- My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic was initially an idea between two bronies—Tall Tail and Know-It-All—to create a stand-alone pony RPG system which not only was unique instead of requiring another system to use, but was also designed to provide an experience true to the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic cartoon.
- Ponies: The Roleplaying Game is a first draft of a simple RPG for people who want to play as ponies with actual stats and dice.
- My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is a roleplaying game that lets you play as one of the ponies from the show or create your own pony to explore the magical world that awaits you.
The April Fool's article also proposed a miniatures line compatible with Dungeons & Dragons miniatures. Thing is, miniatures already exist in the form of G4 Blind Bag Ponies.
G4 Blind Bag Ponies are pony figurines that are fully molded toys and about half the size of the 'regular' pony toys. With their molded hair they more closely resemble the character in the show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. 'Blind Bags' refers to the fact that these toys are mostly sold in "surprise" opaque packaging, as in you can't see what pony you are getting until you open her up. However collectors soon found that each bag had a number stamped on it indicating which pony was in each bag. Jordan Peacock on PEG Inc.'s boards gives more information on how these miniatures work with traditional fantasy gaming terrain:
Scale is an issue. These are 2" high, so they are noticeably not very "little" compared to 32mm (let alone 25mm) miniatures and scenery. They seem [to] look nice enough next to most of my Hirst Arts dungeon pieces, although they fill up the corridors (a 2" wide corridor is really only wide enough for the ponies to comfortably walk single-file), and some of the doors are just too small. The Mage Knight and Warhammer Quest doors look large enough, however, and I think the larger 1.5"-wide Hirst Arts blocks doors should work as well.
For smaller scale miniatures more in line with 28mm humanoids there are several options to consider.
- Pewter Ponies from Slap Miniatures consists of a base set of a "string of ponies" featuring 1 princess pony, 3 pegasi, 3 unicorns, and 5 regular ponies. The Kickstarter surpassed its £3,000 goal by £4,000.
- Chibi Ponies from Impact Miniatures consisted of a unicorn, pony, eagle winged pony, and hat-wearing pony. The Kickstarter to launch this line had a modest goal of $3,250 and concluded with $105,099 on November 1, 2012. You can buy the miniatures at the company's web site, but a large majority of them are sold out.
[/h]
John Frascotti, President of Hasbro Brands, laid out the My Little Pony blueprint: Toy & Game Product Innovation, Digital Media, Lifestyle Licensing and Immersive Entertainment Experiences. If there's a role-playing game, it seems that it most likely would fit in more than one category: a digital role-playing game would be a game innovation, digital media, and an immersive entertainment experience. There are rumors, but then trolling MLP fandom is a common Internet pastime, like the Kickstarter for a pony-focused dating sim that turned out to be an elaborate hoax.
Of course, the question of why there isn't a My Little Pony role-playing game can extend to all of Hasbro's licenses. Where's the Transformers game? G.I. Joe? It's clear that at least for the moment, Hasbro doesn't see "role-playing game" as a significant media channel to develop for its licensed properties.
That may change. Hasbro's approach to turning all of its franchises into transmedia properties has started to gain traction, most specifically with the Dungeons & Dragons film, which Hasbro considers a powerful enough brand that it was willing to go to court over the film rights.
There is also precedent for Wizards of the Coast to produce games from other properties, notably the short-lived Heroscape line. Wizards has also produced board games based on its properties, like the Magic: The Gathering board game...which looks a lot like Heroscape.
Of all the paths to game publication of a Hasbro franchise, the most likely means of getting an official game is through 3D printing and sub-licensing. Hasbro has already endorsed official My Little Pony miniatures through its partnership with Shapeways to launch SuperFanArt, with the pony franchise leading the effort. And that's not all:
While Hasbro is starting with My Little Pony, its other brands will be added to SuperFanArt this year in the coming months. It also owns Transformers, Monopoly, Play-Doh, Magic: The Gathering, Littlest Pet Shop and Nerf.
We've come a long way from 2006, when My Little Pony was the butt of an April Fool's joke. The warm reception of Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons by players and Hasbro bodes well for future expansions that explore other brands. Here's what lead D&D developer Mike Mearls had to say on the subject:
I can’t say for certain at this point, but one of the nice things about a modular approach is that it’s much easier to extend the game in different directions. If you have an elegant, robust, and easily learned core, you can imagine adding rules for mutations and dangerous tech for Gamma World, or beam weapons and space travel for Star Frontiers.
If fans can start making their own Magic: The Gathering and My Little Pony miniatures and Wizards of the Coast is producing a Magic: The Gathering board game, a My Little Pony role-playing and miniature game seems more feasible than ever.
Mike "Talien" Tresca is a freelance game columnist, author, and communicator. You can follow him at Patreon.
