I disagree because of something that we often need that is very important: Reassurance. Revealing that everyone was going to return alongside Ridley and later King Rool provided us with a sense of certainty. Having this kind of information early on with the reveal of a new Smash game is extremely rare, but a lot of things surrounding this game are unusual. Unlike Brawl and 4, they were quietly developing it in secret without sharing anything about it. So disclosing that majority of the roster early on alongside popular requests was a smart move to avoid the unnecessary stress that comes with speculating for a year or so to see if they cut one's favorite fighter or not, or if they added a popular one.
The hype cycle surrounding Ultimate has been calmer and quieter than Smash 4's year long light show, but I prefer the former because it has allowed many of us to breath easier knowing who are in already. At least in my case, I slept better at night knowing that my faves weren't cut and that some inclusions that were previously thought unlikely were added.
I agree. Inkling was a predictable fighter and should not have been the flagship for Ultimate. If Ridley was announced alongside some MP4 information no one would have ever called the game a port. K. Rool was a huge surprise and unlike some others, not likely, because of Nintendo's history with Rare. Bookending him at the end of the last direct would have everyone in a much different mood than some are right now.
That's exactly what they did. They revealed Ridley after the debut direct but that will never stop ignorant people and contrarians from saying that the game is a port. I don't see how announcing another game would have prevented that.
I feel like the perception of Ultimate's roster would've been vastly better if it finished with KKR. Just all around a better reception, especially given how fire "Rivals" was.
If the fact that "Everyone is here" and the announcement of fan favorites like Ridley, Dark Samus, King K. Rool, Simon Belmont, Chrom and Isabelle didn't give people a positive perception of the roster, then I don't know what would have. The last three characters may not been under a top ten list, but their inclusion didn't delete the ones previously mentioned from the Smash roster and at the very least they look fun to play.
I doubt that these last three will hurt the game's sales significantly because there is a pretty good chance that most consumers got who they wanted at this point and are aware of what they were getting in the finished product on December. People will find a reason to hate regardless, and a lot of the reactions have been unreasonable and immature. Wii Fit Trainer announced alongside Megaman didn't placate them.
The devs also have to follow their planned schedule and iron out the kinks for the upcoming game. I doubt that everyone is just ready from the get go to be shown. You can look it at it this way although this just my speculation: Usually, the latest announcements are the last additions, like happened with Wolf and Jigglypuff in Brawl and Bowser Jr. in 4. The fact that Ridley and King Rool were shown this early on is telling of how much they wanted to prioritize them. If this is the case it shows that they cared.
Judging by your avatar and signature, you were rooting for King Rool, right? Didn't you feel better and more secure knowing that he was confirmed early on into the roster in the August Direct? That knowledge alone gives you something worthwhile to look forward to when the game releases in December. If he was your most wanted and this last announcement quelled your excitement, then I would have questioned if you were really stoked for him. What begins well, ends well; some people may not see it like that now but once they get over it they will see that is good for the long run.
I feel this thread is just pointless hindsight solutions that serve no purpose other than self patting oneselves on the back. Sure, when you don't have to face the logistical nightmares that the devs had to deal with, anyone can come out and say how much of a better job they would have done for the announcements in their place.