I apologise in advance if this seems harsh.
Gears of War, a more pertinent example of how a game can become a piece of art than Ico? I’ll leave that to stew, while I try to think of a better introduction.
I literally bit my fist at this opening, because it really is
awful. The opening sentence is clumsy, while the second essentially admits how bad it is. For God's sake, please change it.
The games industry is one that desperately wants to be appreciated. It’s like the new kid at school who brings in some cakes on his first day in the hope of achieving a rapturous critical reception from his new peers, music, film and literature. Creating this kind of fuss is all well and good, it starts you off on the right foot, but nobody’s going home that day thinking ‘that piece of Battenburg has totally changed my outlook on life’.
Much better, though I doubt anyone has ever brought cakes into school expecting a 'rapturous critical reception'. But I get your point.
For a number of reasons really, but most prominently because we ourselves, who like to wallow in gaming culture, can’t decide what qualifies as art. So let’s take a perusal through some unlikely candidates to see if we can’t fumble our way to some kind of conclusion.
Aside from the fact that I can't possibly agree with your assertion, you really can't admit to your reader that you've no real idea where you're going with the piece. I'm not against self-deprecatory humour (indeed I use it sometimes when I'm posting on my blog) but it's inappropriate here.
One of the most famous definitions of art, which we have now thankfully moved on from, is something that has no purpose other than itself, and though this is a rather restrictive definition that rules out anything from the entire entertainment industry, let’s briefly indulge the concept.
Why indulge the concept if we've moved on? It essentially renders the entire next paragraph irrelevant! And then you make an assumption of the reader which comes across as crass and smug, with your comment about 'vitriol fueled responses'.
I, like many of you, have never played Carnival Games, I’ve never even seen it in action and certainly couldn’t pick it out of a line-up based on screen shots, why? Because it’s not a good game
That just implies a lack of research, and the excuse is not a good one.
as one of the most poorly reviewed titles on the Wii, Carnival Games steadfastly fails to entertain
Again, that's an assumption based on its Metacritic score. And the use of 'steadfastly' seems out of place here.
Now you gaming folk may completely disagree with that last submission, but I put it to you that gamers are stupid.
That's just a horrible, horrible sentence. It sounds patronising and it's also insulting.
Ask a gaggle of a hundred gamers what game they think qualifies as art and chances are you’ll get a hundred and one different responses. Give them a bit longer to think on the subject and Ico will probably be one of the most commonly suggested titles.
Better. The first sentence in particular shows a nice sense of humour. But then...
I’m sorry but you’re a predictable bunch
If I was reading this in a magazine, I'm sure I'd be thinking 'strawberry float off' right about now. Presumptuous and insulting again.
The next bit again is pretty good (apart from the fact it should be your neck you're sticking out rather than your leg), but then your point is spoiled by the '*vomits*' bit. It's just totally unnecessary.
Aggression, it’s not a pretty emotion but it is a vibrant one, it also happens to be one that Gears of War serves up in spades. You can only really see it when watching someone else play Gears, but on or offline with 360 controller in hand gamers become a sweaty, shouty, shaky mess. Unlike any other game Gears of War gets your heart pumping, even though the Locusts are only collections of pixels you loathe those mother strawberry floaters. The games narrative is pretty pitiful but when you’re in there, the visceral aggression of everything on screen just makes it come alive, bizarrely, saving humanity matters. You’ll grit your teeth as you chainsaw through flesh, you’ll perspire as you desperately dash to revive a fallen comrade and you’ll flail your arms wildly when a shotgun shreds your legs from your torso. If modern art is all about the way any given person engages with it, then Gears of War’s adrenaline pumping aggression activator is one of the finest examples around.
That bit...now that bit is GREAT. Really, really good. I'm not sure about the phrase 'adrenaline pumping aggression activator', but otherwise that's exactly what the rest of your piece should be like. It's passionate, describes the game well, and it makes a useful point.
But that's your only real example, given that your other one is for a meaning you yourself dismiss earlier.
Again, there's definite promise here, but this piece needs a serious rethink (oh, and that sneering 'it's just gamers so it won't have an impact' at the end has to go, too). I like the concept, I really like the bit about Gears, and there are some nicely-written bits here and there. Work on making the rest of your piece like those bits and then you'll be onto something.