On the i-mode service in Japan, you can connect to the URL on the back of the card and check your stats anywhere. You can also give yourself nicknames. The main reason was it's available now. Yes, I am gathering information on them. Each one does have specific characteristics that are very different, and can be used in many ways.
Many people talk about arcades having problems and possibly being on the way out.
Every time there has been a big step in gaming, like force feedback or 360-degree games like Afterburner, there has been a jump in arcades. When games went from 2D to 3D, there was a big jump in arcades. When there is another step forward like that, it will help arcades come back. One way may be in how users interact with the game, new ways of input and output. If flat screens become more easily available, then more flat screens can be used in games and it will change how arcades are layed out.