Is that supposed to be rhetorical or something?!?
Without question, he's a GREAT character for Smash Bros.
He's one of the greatest, most iconic characters in video game history. He can make a damn good fighter. He's the poster boy of one of the greatest, most beloved franchises in all of gaming, which started on the NES, and even has a chance to come back fully with NX.
He deserves it! He's earned it!

People are reading way too much into this. He's in the game because he was voted in. That's all. It's not a hint of anything.

Might the NX get FF7R? Sure. Will this have anything to do with that? Absolutely not.

most likely this just indicates ties towards the two companies working together for the NX. the reality is that Square Enix has gotten pretty good sales on Nintendo handhelds with a few franchises (Final Fantasy / Kingdom Hearts), and that they most likely are quite interesting in the possiblility of the NX and it being a crossover with potential for good sales

   a mainstream Final Fantasy game (re-release or otherwise) on a system that is compatible for handheld version and home console could sell really well considering Nintendo has not really had many mainstream FF game releases in a while (besides a bunch of rereleases of the originals)

  it's a pretty famous character though, I don't see what's wrong with him being in the game. bear in mind that almost all of Smash's character roster still remains Nintendo IP

Nope. No chance he deserves to be in. But if his inclusion means Banjo is in then I'm more than willing to accept him. With Microsoft more than willing to give Nintendo the rights for him as a Smash rep, it would be literally inexcusable in my eyes if they went for Cloud and not Banjo.

I think NX was going to get basically all the Square-Enix support the moment Dragon Quest XI was announced for it anyway. Cloud in Smash though might be the icing on the cake that pushes towards it.

Fact is he would not be in the game if Square-Enix did not want him in the game, it doesn't matter what a poll says.

To be honest too, I really don't see why denying at least the 3DS of ports of FF7-9 do S-E any good, that's just easy money, hopefully they consider that at least. 

Well, I don't know about fans of the series, but I think it's pretty cool :)

Haha to me this is the most bizarre part of it all. Probably goes to show you how well regarded smash has become 

Sora would've been a much more natural fit for Nintendo and Smash, but I really can't complain about Cloud. I mean who woulda thunk?

We don't actually know that. If anything, I feel like they would have mentioned that if it were the case. I suspect the Smash Direct next month will reveal the actual winner of that poll.

Icons clash in SSB. Cloud is an icon.