3D Printing is about to take its next leap into the world of toys. HASBRO Inc., one of the largest international toy and board game makers of G.I. Joe, Transformers, and Monopoly, just to name a few, is about to team up with "My Little Pony" to make 3D art-form toys.

Hasbro Inc., the American multi-national company, has decided to work with a 3D Printing company in order to get a jump onto one of the fastest growing industries. HASBRO's 3D Printing team up to dole out "My Little Pony" artsy figurines sounds like either a great business venture, or one bad ride.

Fans of "My Little Pony" are called "Bronies," and they are usually made up of adult men. The Brony fandom and its perhaps peculiar obsession has spawned websites, and a 2012 documentary titled "Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony." HASBRO Inc. is responsible for creating the magical pony toys back in 1980. This company perhaps owes the magical pony success to its now growing fandom.

HASBRO Inc. is giving the Bronies a 3D fan art inspired by the My Little Pony toy line. HASBRO Inc. has partnered with Shapeways, a 3D printing company. The My Little Pony fan art is already online at SuperFanArt.com. It was launched in the middle of last month, The New York Times reported.

John Frascotti, chief marketing officer at HASBRO stated that they have been investigating 3D printing for quite some time. "What 3D printing truly empowers is the creation of artwork that maybe wouldn't make sense for mass production, but it makes sense for a unique item."

This 3D printing project between HASBRO Inc. and Shapeways has been described by Frascotti as "mass customization." In other words, they want to bring a custom made My Little Pony art not only to its existing Bronies, but to bring those magical beings to more fans of 3D printing.

The board game and toy making giant will be working with five individual artists whose work will be available for order online, as well as printing a colorful and perhaps one-of-a-kind plastic polymer, The New York Times reported. The Shapeways executives have described the feel of the 3D magical ponies as similar to that of a sandstone.

Before the designs move from choice by the customer to production, HASBRO Inc. has decided to pre-screen the designs so as to make sure that there is nothing obscene, violent or hateful coming out. But at the same the artists will have a free rein over their work, as well as set the price of the figurines, The New York Times reported.

This business venture for HASBRO is perceived as an avenue for artists and authors to share their work through the multi-national company, Fortune reported. "We are opening up our [intellectual property] and giving authors and designers an opportunity to create with us," Frascotti said.

Over time, the company hopes to add as well as include more brands and artists to the 3D printing website, Fortune reported.

3D Printing has grown from idea to inception. The technology is available in some Staples stores, Home Depot, to making an Intel 3D Robot, and going all the way into outer-space at the International Space Station (ISS). While at the ISS the astronauts intend on using the 3D printers to make parts or other items when they cannot send for them from Earth. In 3D printing computerized machines are used to layer material to create three-dimensional objects.

Not only for HASBRO Inc. but for the toy industry in general 3D printing presents some unique advantages and challenges. The manufacturing part of it can help companies like HASBRO to keep up with the competition by creating new prototypes and new toys quicker and easier, Fortune reported. The companies can make their products in smaller batches or larger ones.

"With 3D printing, you can make one of something, you don't need to have 10,000 or 50,000 units to make it or not, you can make one of something and that's fine," Frascotti said.

HASBRO's evolving relationship with technology such as, 3D printing is not anything new. Since the 1980s the toy industry had to adapt to the pressure of the video game industry because video game consoles became the new and popular way kids played, Fortune reported. Even now, mobile apps also create another challenge for the toy industry to get the attention of the kids.

"These companies have to be very fast on their feet and figure out ways to adapt to new technologies like [3D printing]," Carter Keithley said, president of the Toy Industry Association.

Keithley stated that toy companies such as HASBRO and Mattel could make smaller batches of toys with 3D printing, and then test the new products in the market. They could even sell them as kits so that customers have easier access to 3D print the small toys in their homes, Fortune reported.