“Online Games” - What’s the Problem with this Term Anyway?
The social stigma, investment challenges, and business disruptions caused by this broad categorization
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AFK Gaming
Would it be fair to club movie theaters or amusement parks with casinos, then define them under an umbrella term of “Recreational Centers” and impose identical regulations because they share some minor commonalities? If the notion seems absurd, you will understand why video games and real money games should not be categorized together as “Online Games.” Yet, this broad and misleading term persists, masking significant differences with superficial similarities.
Before delving deeper into this issue it's crucial to understand the historical context, which we've covered in our previous article, "Online Games: How This Problematic Term Came to Be". This foundation highlights how the term "Online Games" evolved and why its usage is increasingly problematic.
In this second installment of our “Online Games” series, we will dissect the many problems associated with using such a broad yet incorrect term. To illustrate this, let’s categorize the terms “video games” and “real money games”:
