Paintball is definitely something everyone should try at least once. If anything, you'll at least get a kick out of shooting other people without any harsh consequences.
I think Spyders, for the money, are awesome entry level guns and if that's the price range you're looking at, they're pretty tough to beat. Tippman is another good manufacturer in that price range.
I think the problem with paintball at a sport is that it doesn't appeal to everyone, mainly because of the idea of getting shot with an object hitting you at 300 feet per second...also, the sport is currently too darn expensive! If the cost is $200 for just an entry level gun, then you can imagine where it goes from there, not to mention paintballs cost >$40 per case. Ouch!