Heh. I hear ya. The debate has been raging a while.

https://litrpgforum.com/threads/whats-a-good-definition-of-litrpg.150/

Guardians of the Flame came out in the 1980s, and I consider that LitRPG.

The switching comes from the fact it was the Russians who coined the term.

Some have been trying to start GameLit to replace LitRPG.

Thanks for the comment.

ETA: Some have said that to be "true" litrpg the stats must be a visible element of the work... Some of us aren't as strict, however...