Deus Ex: The Fall Should be a Reason to Love Mobile Gaming, Not Hate It.

When Deus Ex: The Fall was announced as a mobile title, the reaction could be clearly delineated into two camps: mobile gamers intrigued by this deep franchise making its way to mobile, and by 'core' gamers who were outraged that a new Deus Ex game wouldn't be coming to consoles and PC. As if it had to. As if they had a right to it. As if it was somehow a lesser product for being a mobile game.

Make no mistake, mobile gaming is still not fully accepted by gamers. It's a big deal, and those who have had fun with the countless number of creative titles of various scales from all walks of life will know that a fun game is a fun game no matter what platform it's on. But there's still a mindset that mobile gaming is still a lesser form of gaming, and the reaction to Deus Ex: The Fall exposes this ugly truth.

But what is it about this game that makes people so hostile to the very idea of mobile gamers getting a console-quality title on the go? Was it a presumption that since a new Deus Ex title was announced, it had to be for consoles? Still, the disappointment seemed especially amplified in this circumstance. It wasn't just the garden-variety internet trolls who compalin loudly, though: it was high-profile outlets like IGN and even Penny Arcade Report were disappointed. PAR strives for a higher class of gaming coverage, so this still seems uncharacteristic of them.

IGN's staffer who wrote the subheadline disparaging mobile, a particular insult to IGN's own mobile coverage, which has been running since back in the days of flip phones. The mobile editor actually changed the headline a day later. Still, whlie they may have a section dedicated to mobile coverage, there's still clearly a mindset that it's something negative.

Despite all the great experiences on mobile devices, in genres both familiar and new, still there is disrespect. is just unfair. The people that make these games are gamers, often long-time ones. I've spoken to many of them. The App Store has provided new opportunities that just weren't there before. I write about mobile games, but I've been a gamer for almost my whole life. Mobile games are legitimate games. That the games are using new interfaces doesn't make them any less so.

The irony is that a game like Deus Ex: The Fall is exactly what will legitimize the platform: this is a deep game that's being released for touchscreen devices. It's not perfect - it uses the flawed dual virtual stick control method along with touchscreen interface elements, but everything about the game sounds like it will live up to what the series has been known for, just in a smaller, more mobile-friendly package. This promises to be a legitimate Deus Ex experience that can be played while waiting for the bus.

And while this may be coming a bit early, mobile gaming getting the 'legitimacy' of controllers and TV gaming is not far away. Apple just approved a controller standard, and there's million of AirPlay-compatible Apple TV devices. On the Android side, where gamepads are already supported, consoles are already making their way out. There's Ouya, GameStick, GamePop, and a million more.