Joe Montana Football took a weird and winding path to get here, and yeah, it was a little awkward. But if the reveal was not what you thought it would be; if it was not what you expected, then that's not stopping Damon Grow, the main voice and developer behind this game, from moving forward with this project.

"It's not what you think it is," said Damon Grow. "When you saw Infinity Blade, you were like no way, so we were like we want to do that for sports fans and say that it doesn't have to be what you thought it would be."

For all of Infinity Blade's warts, it was an epiphany for so many folks who had never really given iOS gaming a chance. The graphical fidelity was unmatched, and on top of that, the gameplay (repetitive as it maybe became at times) matched the graphics in terms of providing something that hit the spot for all types of people who played games.

In so many words, this is what Joe Montana Football wants to be in the sports space, according to Grow. He wants it to be the best looking sports game, and he wants gameplay -- simulation style gameplay -- that surprises you.

As for how we got here and how some are angry or disappointed, it's not like Grow is unaware of these things. However, at the same time, part of the reason for the secrecy was because he really did go down every path in the process of creating this game before coming to the current conclusion. But when the final decision was made, E3 was the place where this game had to be revealed -- and not before.

But if he does want to start to repair things from here on out, he certainly talked about wanting to attack things that sports game fans care about. He's saying there will be a single-player story mode "with a twist" for folks. He's saying you'll be able to play in a more Be A Pro style mode where there's an element of building up your skills and also your lifestyle -- much like the old "myCrib" elements from NFL 2K5. He's promising a GM mode where you can play offline or online through multiple seasons with friends, complete with the ability to upgrade your stadium. On top of that, he's pushing for "the best and most robust creation and share system" in the mobile sports space.

If that sounds promising and ambitious, then it's probably helpful to know that Grow wants the pre-alpha to start in the next couple months. From there, he wants the game to release on iOS in 2016 during Q1 or Q2 -- "definitely" before August when the real football season begins. From there he wants to go to Android. And if all goes well, he wants to be on PC by 2017.

"We decided we could compete here," said Grow. "We could build up a fan base, and if there's enough momentum, it's how you break down walls. It's a tremendous wall, and we're going to need the fans' support to help break it down."

And Grow does not come off as someone who does not realize how thick that wall could be. He understands the realities and costs of creating a simulation-style football game that forces its way into the minds of the masses.

With those realities being what they are, there's caution here still on multiple levels. At this point, he's not sure of the business model. He has previous experience making free-to-play Facebook games -- and he's not ruling that option out -- but it's not a slam dunk either. He also has not settled on how the game will control. He wants it to be a simulation-style, 11-on-11 experience where the feedback is haptic and precise, but whether that occurs via an on-screen controller or another method is still being hammered on right now.

And really, that's the sort of stuff that seemingly should still be up in the air when your game is not yet even in its pre-alpha state.

At the end of the day, I think it's easy to say the lead up to this reveal could have been handled in a way that did not end up angering so many. At one point Grow said, "the fans need a new experience." That statement alone is a simple but palpable reason why people feel frustrated now. Many people do want a new experience, specifically something that can compete with Madden as at least an in-depth simulation controlled with a controller, and many were banking on this being that silver bullet.

Regardless, if faith is what you were living off of to get to this point in the first place, then is faith something that should dry up now that it's not some first-party licensed property? If you want to give up on the game now out of anger, then that's your choice as a potential consumer. If you want to go on supporting and keeping an eye on this title that's perfectly reasonable as well. And if you want to recognize that you were on some level creating a fantasy scenario in your own head and choosing to believe in what certain folks were saying because you liked the way it sounded -- regardless of the factual backing -- that is certainly also an option at this point as well.

On some level, maybe Joe Montana Football is no more real today than it was before the E3 reveal, but at least it's something we can now all begin to understand. We can now start to hold the developer accountable. We can now start to look for tangible updates. And maybe, just maybe, we can start looking at a game that ends up being a worthwhile entry in the mobile space...and eventually the PC space as well.