Fatmanonice
Banned via Warnings
*sigh* Didn't you read my post at all? Let me break it down so you have an easier time reading it:if geno was so highly favored how come he didnt make it?
1. Sakurai said at GDC back in March that all the characters except Sonic were chosen three days after E3 05 when Iwata pitched the idea at him.
2. Sakurai also said at GDC that all these characters were completely programmed by the beginning of 2006. Sonic was the only exception and he wasn't added until the summer of 2007. He said he did this in order to focus on the other aspects of development so that they didn't run into one of two problems: running out of time and having to greatly extend the development (which they basically had to do anyways because of complications with online).
3. Sakurai said that other third party characters weren't added because of time issues just like Sonic and Snake in Melee. Getting permission to use a copyright is time consuming so it's understandable.
4. Every new character added in Brawl except ZSS and ROB were representatives of the most recent games of certain franchises or ideas that were left on the cutting room floor for Melee.
5. The offical Brawl poll wasn't held until May 2006. Reference point 2 to see why this matters.
@ Catfight:
I don't think it would be all that farfetched seeing how most of the newcomers will definately fall in the "obscure" category since a lot of the major players are in Brawl. For example, it's not very likely that Kirby and Mother will get any more reps and every other major has like one person left. For example, DK has King K. Rool and LoZ pretty much has Tingle *vomits violently... stops for a bit... tries to talk again but falls to his knees and starts to puke blood*.