Of course, I could see how the PC of the early 90s would have been an upset for tabletop gaming of the era. Suddenly, all the gaming depth of minis gaming could be done just as easily from home without even putting on a pair of pants. The same could eventually be said about the Super Nintendo, too. Japan also had an RPG bubble from the late 80s to the early-mid 90s. I don't think it's that unlikely that video game technologies' improvement is part of the culprit. The other part being that many gamers of the era probably enjoyed the game first and foremost, and the social aspect and leaving the house was more the necessary evil attached to it. That's partly why I feel that Megamek is a double-edged sword. It allows people who have difficulty finding games to get to play Battletech, but it also enables people to not put an effort in to find players, taking gamers out of the LGS where they'd be recruiting new players, and instead putting them in front of their computers.
As far as how HBS goes for introducing players to the game? It will introduce - some - players to the franchise for sure. However, there are way more people interested in first person Battletech games than third person, and the tactical games that have the most draw are the RTS base-building types of games, which doesn't really fit the Battletech setting that well. I think the biggest draws for those who are into tabletop gaming are going to be how atmospheric and well written HBS's title is, because if the game is well done, there will be the craving to experience more of said setting. Maybe I'm projecting, but that's no small part of how I got into the Battletech setting through playing Mechwarrior 2.
In the early days, before PGI's actions (or inactions) with MWO led to a shift in community atmosphere from hopeful positivity to frustration and toxicity, the combination of the easy-to-access game and the true-to-the-tabletop customization system and criticals table made a sudden surge of people interested in playing tabletop Battletech. My player group exploded from maybe one guy playing a match each month to having so many players I needed to come to the LGS on both the Saturdays and Sundays I had off to accommodate them. I'm not sure what the situation is now, but I can say that if you put out a game that's fun to play and has adequate synergy with the tabletop game, you'll be able to get more players. I'm hoping that it's still driving interest in playing analog Battletech and that all publicity is good publicity. I don't mind the fundamental mechanics of the game that much, but the market they targeted doesn't seem the type who'd get into fluff-heavy wargaming settings. Depending on how they handle it though, Mechwarrior 5 could potentially be a positive step, so long as they put the effort in. Personally, I think having a game that is immersive, engaging, and atmospheric trumps how powerful the graphics engine is any day of the week.
Of course, getting yourself out to the LGS and pounding the pavement looking for players is what is most important. Most instances I've seen of players complaining that nobody plays the game usually involve their not taking any steps to find or recruit them - just expecting them to be actively playing at their LGS when they walk in. It was only after really starting to get proactive at my LGS that I discovered that there were plenty of people in my town who knew how to play Battletech and/or wanted to play, it's just that none of them put the effort in to get in contact with other people they might not potentially know.
