I think that the .17 HS will be popular also, and I'll buy one.
One of the biggest complaints from the BR50 crowd was that the design of the .22 LR round (crimped case-diameter bullet) limited the inherent accuracy of the round. That the .22 LR shoots as well as it does is a triumph of quality control.
The new .17 HS cartridge will have all of the benefits of the .17 HMR, namely a bottleneck cartridge and a bullet that is smaller than the outer diameter of the case neck. It will also benefit from the fact that any rifle that is currently manufactured for .22 LR can be made in this caliber merely by switching barrels.
An accurate .22 LR rifle has a hard time consistently grouping under .6 MOA at 50 yards... some groups will be under and some groups will be over, and there will be the occasional flyer. The new .17 HS should readily group under .5 MOA and the groups should be a lot more consistent because the ammo will be a lot more consistent.
So... a round that will be more inherently accurate than a .22 LR, be priced reasonably, will work in any existing rifle with a barrel change, has a much flatter trajectory out to 100 yards, and it won't tear up game any more than a .22 LR HP... what's not to like?
This will be the ideal small game hunting cartridge, and if the price is under $5 for 100 rounds initially it will take off. As volume (and competition) increases, the ammo price will drop further.