は significance in ゲームは上手いですね


I'm confused by the reaction to は in this exchange

> A:「ゲームは上手いですね!」  
>  B:「ゲーム「は」.....」

source context: <http://neetsha.jp/inside/up/1/2/12840/24.jpg>




> A:「ゲーム **は** 上手{うま}いですね!」
>
> B:「ゲーム「 **は** 」.....」

This is the contrastive 「は」 or at least that is what B takes it to be.

A's line can be interpreted as "You are good at games ( _ **if not anything
else**_ )!", which is exactly how B interpreted it. That is why B reacts
(jokingly) by emphasizing the contrastive 「は」.

B's line is obviously difficult to translate literally as English has no such
particles. In that sense, A's line is already difficult to translate to begin
with.

Particles can be so powerful that this shortest exchange can stand as a valid
joke in itself. (And this often takes place with the contrastive 「は」 in real
life.) The 「は」 in B's line would receive much stress in actual pronunciation.

B could have also said:

> 「ゲーム『は』って・・・」
>
> 「ゲーム『は』かよ！」
>
> 「ゲームだけかよ！」




> A:「ゲーム **は** 上手{うま}いですね!」
>
> B:「ゲーム「 **は** 」.....」

This is the contrastive 「は」 or at least that is what B takes it to be.

A's line can be interpreted as "You are good at games ( _ **if not anything
else**_ )!", which is exactly how B interpreted it. That is why B reacts
(jokingly) by emphasizing the contrastive 「は」.

B's line is obviously difficult to translate literally as English has no such
particles. In that sense, A's line is already difficult to translate to begin
with.

Particles can be so powerful that this shortest exchange can stand as a valid
joke in itself. (And this often takes place with the contrastive 「は」 in real
life.) The 「は」 in B's line would receive much stress in actual pronunciation.

B could have also said:

> 「ゲーム『は』って・・・」
>
> 「ゲーム『は』かよ！」
>
> 「ゲームだけかよ！」

