D-Real, I agr... ag... bah
I think that online gaming isn't big, and isn't going to get very big until some killer apps that are mainstream (besides sports games) come out. I think a pokemon, a Final Fantasy, or a GTA needs to go online... I think GT3 has a great chance of making it mainstream, but I just don't see it.
I still think online gaming has become a feature that can and will push hardware... but this gen is just the start. Next gen if two consoles are not online, and one is, I think that this feature alone will push many people who bought into it this gen to buy into it again.
once you experience the joys of online gaming there is no turning back... I can never buy a EA Sport game again for Xbox or GCN... why? Not only because it's online on Ps2, you can download updated rosters etc. Next gen Madden being online will be a
requirement for me to buy the system. (or it will be the deciding factor)
as for Nintendo and the GBA... err, I think that they need to find a better use for it. Right now it's just a waste of technology. Like I said before nothing that would make a GBA owner get a GCN, or a GCN owner get a GBA.