To better illustrate what I mean, I'll use the Marvel vs. Capcom series as an example.
- In earlier MvC games, Marvel basically gave Capcom free reign to choose whoever they wanted from the Marvel side (obviously Capcom had full control over their own side). This allowed Capcom to be a bit more adventurous with their Marvel picks, but this was likely due to Marvel being in a tough spot at the time.
- With (U)MvC3 & MvCI, Marvel took up control of who got in from their side. While Capcom did have some kind of a say with MvC3, this was significantly lessened with MvCI (with Marvel's then-active Fox ban being the big elephant in the room on this front). As a result, Marvel mostly made decisions that fit whatever plans they had for their overall brand going into the near or even distant future (Rocket in UMvC3 is an example of the latter, which paid off in the long-run).
Back to the matter at hand, how do you prefer that roster selection be handled for crossover games? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter, Era.