I expect it to be the leader 3D software in a few years. Blender is in the right path. Next version will add some of the tools that made Sketchup popular. Their bet in Python was also fortunate and they are starting to cash in.
I recently started learning Blender for 2D animation with the new and improved Grease Pencil. It's very cool technology! I can't wait to get the hang of it. Blender is an amazing program.
I think the real killer is going to be the constant improvements to the video editing and mixed 2D animation facilities. I recently used Blender for some casual video editing, and there were a couple things about the experience that really stunk (like not having proper control over framerates, while editing a 15fps video, needing to render to 30fps), but there is also a lot of promise with its tight integration with the Blender renderers and animation system.
I think it's time for a mixed-content VFX BOMP with all the sequences composited and edited in Blender, end to end.
