Is HDRI Really That Popular?

When Nik sent out the first news about HDR Efex Pro I thought, yeah, how about something useful I can sell. Then even before I published it people started to call about it. I got the message put it up for sale ASAP and suddenly this is the 3rd most looked for thing on this website after used minilabs and cruise ship photography jobs.

I remember experimenting with similar things back in the film days by putting two negatives together but it was a painful process with not too outstanding results, so I forgot about it as it was. Looks like many others not though. However during all these years I didn't manage to notice that so many has such an interest in this. Digital imaging makes HDR much easier than it used to be. 

Now I even noticed the "Merge for HDR" in Photoshop that as HDR itself, was there before I just didn't see it. Luckily clever companies like Nik Software did see  it growing and developed HDR Efex Pro that is supposedly the best in it's class. 

Now, what I would really like to know is, is it the technology that made it possible the smooth creation of HDR pics that's driven up the interest in this type of photography or the high demand for better software solutions from HDR photographers kicked off the development of HDRI product.