For sure the innovation there is in the marketing, rather than the manufacturing.

The M&P15 Sport I have us a great shooter, which is what interests me. The meat and potatoes that make the gun work are still there, and dispensing with the forward assist, dustcover, grenade launcher cut on the barrel, articulating trigger guard, etc., just don't have much effect on how I use the gun. But I have diehard AR friends who think it a sham. That's OK with me.

I don't expect the Sport to cause any shift in the AR market. There is so much money flowing into The Great AR15-Hole that I doubt the various manufacturers, particularly the smaller, more kitsch-oriented ones, have any reason to take note of the Sport. But I do think it is pretty good marketing, and agree it may make AR owners out of some folks who might otherwise avoid the expense.