Where do I begin?
The people who play this game choose it over the many other titles (in MOBA category alone) to enjoy and engage themselves in.. I'll start off by recommending just a simple thing that other MOBA games are doing to get some increased revenue AND advertising done in one simple whoosh.
The Varsity Jacket.
I'd like to see some different designs for Heroes of Newerth apparel and I think the Varsity Jacket is one that would take off. After longing into SMITE for the first time today, the have suggested apparel for purchase right on the main launcher. Not only is LEAGUE of LEGENDS selling a jacket for $33, but the quality is there for not such a significant price. Sure the SMITE one looks like it's made better, and has an overall more appealing atmosphere to it, but Heroes of Newerth seriously lacks in the advertising department. I mean, I can't even buy a poster for the game I've supported more than any other. Games I've spent 1000-2000 hours playing and hundreds of dollars on. HoN tops them all, weighing in at well over one grand for gold coins alone. I would thoroughly appreciate having the ability to purchase a Devourer poster for my room or some of the more popular alternate avatars as well rather than just a basic. I know I'd spend at least $60-$80 on a mid-grade quality Varsity Jacket to wear to the movie theatre or where-ever. Not saying I'd just buy it to own, but really I would be displaying this and people would certainly ask what the hell is Heroes of Newerth and why the Pyromancer Varsity Jacket looks so ****ing badass. Just some of the top heroes could make some truly awesome apparel that I believe the community would most certainly wear with pride.
As an introvert, I could definitely talk to people about Heroes of Newerth for hours on end if they were interested. I could easily point out the "dark, gritty and unforgiving" features of this game that make it more intense than other MOBA games such as League/Dota/Dota 2/Strife/HotS/SMITE/ any of them, really. The game is overall more engaging and more rewarding. Being able to 1v3 when heroes come mid and taking over the game with the massive importance of gold or exp/m farming and eventually wrekt **** against multiple other heroes. I know people would ask about a badass looking Varsity Jacket that they don't understand because.. Varsity Jackets are just popular. Also with other MOBAs having these types of apparel, it would offer something new and different to public display. I would definitely support this game by buying one or two Varsity Jackets for Devourer/Deadwood or maybe Blitz (for Blitz mode) Pyromancer, Pharaoh, any one really. Obviously for marketing reasons it would be best to stick with some of the more popular heroes and most played, or even easiest played so that when people saw the jacket and learned about the game they would know which hero to play when they got started. Not saying it would necessarily directly correlate to the conversation the would be occurring about said heroes, but just imagine a pink Pearl Varsity Jacket for girls and something like Devourer for unisex and also a couple different posters. They are easy to make and when company comes over to a house they would be displayed for conversation starters. Hell, now-a-days people buy brass knuckles as "paper weights" just to make conversation. We're just such an intricately developed species that we have to use psychological maneuvers to converse and engage with other people because we just don't know what the hell to talk about anymore.
Back on topic, with a tl;dr:
Varsity Jackets and Posters. Cheap. Awesome. Advertising that players would buy. Personally, I'm over spending money on gold coins. Sure I like the new Gold Edition Behemoth, but I already own every Paragon alt so I have all the upgrades, which would imply I own a "special" Behemoth and also there was a Gold Edition Behemoth that has already been released... the Songkran Behemoth was 600 gold when it came out. There has been only minor developing in the creation of alternate avatars that popular heroes are starting to have secondary Gold Edition skins being released. Honestly, Gold Edition Ravenor? What was Gold about it? The cost, maybe. There are two gold edition skins for Legionnaire, Kurgan and Mercenary, and everything is just starting to become overlooked. Avatars that should be available for 3-7 days are available for 1-3 months. Spring Break solstice. It's not Spring anymore. It's been summer, people; for awhile now.
I was once invited to the CET for spreading popular ideas like this and not once has any action been taken on these easily implementable ideas. With a little more goals for marketing and game production, Heroes of Newerth still definitely has a chance. The game itself brings more to the table than other MOBAs and as I said before, it's overall more engaging to participate in. The strength of the learning curve can be tight, but mastering HoN means mastering the other games with ease. Hell, I've even changed my Diablo III playstyle because I just unconsciously, passively operate these type of games differently now. Overall, these could be some cheap, fun and awesome implementations that would act as advertising, marketing and conversation starters to spread the topic of this pretty Badass game.
#DOOM
Edit: To add a little bit more depth to this topic;
This would mean the playerbase, the community, the people who play and enjoy this game would be doing the advertising for you FrostBurn. To give this a trial how about design a Devourer Varsity Jacket and distribute just 100 of them? Guaranteed you will sell out. Just watch the revenue stack up. A $10-$15 jacket in cost, maybe even less than that, sell for $60-$80? I know there will be over 100 people wanting their hands on that jacket. Hell, I might not even have a chance to get it first if it does come out with work and stuff. It'd probably sell out day one. I might be over-confident in the product, the people and this game; but just a trial run... please. Allow me to get my hands on a fresh Devourer poster or a fresh Devourer Varsity Jacket. Something with more quality than those $20 shirts you guys are selling that look like a total wreck. It's not even easy to find. Put a post in-game for people to see. It's really simple. If FrostBurn wants to watch this game die slowly, it's already been occurring.
On a side note, add the game to the list of games on STEAM? Something. Anything at this point, please. I don't want this game to end up like City of Heroes, Star Wars Galaxies, good games that I've dumped thousand+ hours into that were turned into dust.
Second tl;dr,
Varsity Jackets and Posters. Conversation starters and community-proposed advertising. Cheap, easy, fun, and with such an emphasis on Heroes of Newerth Fan Art, why not? Seriously, you guys do love your fan art. There are hundreds of 1080p wallpapers. How about some posters instead? $0.55 cents to make maybe. $1.00 tops. Varsity Jackets? That will just be the icing on the cake. I'd wear it, and I know others would too.
Please share your opinion and get FrostBurn to realize we'd actually pay for this stuff.
With all the love and respect I can offer to this community,
Xeanoz
-Xe