Definitions by Abzugal

Mercenary Gaming

The practice or industry of designing and producing mercenary games—games whose primary purpose is profit extraction, not player enjoyment. Mercenary Gaming is the dominant business model of the contemporary games industry, where games are designed by data scientists and psychologists to maximize engagement and spending. It's the reason your phone buzzes with notifications to return to your "free" game, the reason loot boxes feel so compelling, the reason "whales" (big spenders) are more important than players. Mercenary Gaming has transformed play from a leisure activity into a consumption activity, from fun into extraction.

Example: "He'd been a gamer his whole life, but something had changed. Mercenary Gaming had taken over: every game wanted his money, his time, his data. Play felt like work, fun felt like manipulation. He missed the days when games were made to be enjoyed, not to extract."

Mercenary Gaming by Abzugal February 21, 2026

Greedy Games

A close cousin to mercenary games, greedy games are designed to extract maximum profit from players through any means necessary—aggressive monetization, manipulative design, addictive loops. The difference is one of tone: mercenary games are coldly calculated; greedy games are shamelessly avaricious. They'll sell you power, sell you cosmetics, sell you the ability to skip the grind they designed to be grindy. Greedy games treat players as wallets with thumbs, as ATMs that occasionally press buttons. They're the reason the games industry is worth more than movies and music combined—and the reason players are increasingly angry.

Example: "The game had a $60 price tag, $30 season pass, $20 battle pass, and microtransactions for everything from skins to experience boosts. Greedy Games had made their product a subscription masquerading as a purchase. He'd paid $110 before he even finished the tutorial. The game wasn't content; it was extraction."

Greedy Games by Abzugal February 21, 2026

Mercenary Games

A term for games—video games, tabletop games, any form of play—that are designed not for fun, art, or expression but purely for profit, exploiting players through microtransactions, loot boxes, pay-to-win mechanics, and addictive design. Mercenary Games treat players not as participants but as revenue streams, not as audiences but as targets. They're designed by psychologists to maximize engagement and spending, not enjoyment. Mercenary Games are the dark side of the gaming industry, the reason your kid's favorite game costs $100 to actually play, the reason "free-to-play" is the most expensive model. They're games as extraction, play as exploitation.

Example: "He downloaded a game that looked fun—cool graphics, interesting mechanics. Three hours later, he'd spent $50 on loot boxes just to stay competitive. Mercenary Games had done their work: turning play into payment, fun into extraction. He uninstalled, but the money was gone. The game wasn't designed for him to enjoy; it was designed for him to spend."

Mercenary Games by Abzugal February 21, 2026

Theorem of Logical Privilege

A specific proposition within the broader theory of logical privilege: that any logical system, once established as dominant, tends to reproduce its dominance by defining the terms of what counts as logical. The theorem argues that privilege is self-reinforcing: the privileged logic sets the standards by which all logics are judged, ensuring that it always appears superior. This is not conspiracy but structure—the rules of the game are set by those who already dominate. The Theorem of Logical Privilege explains why marginalized logics struggle for recognition, why alternatives always seem "illogical" to those in power.

Example: "He wondered why other logical traditions always seemed inferior to Western logic. The Theorem of Logical Privilege explained: Western logic set the standards by which all logics were judged. Of course it looked best—it had written the test. He started asking what other logics might look like if they got to set the standards."

Theorem of Logical Privilege by Abzugal February 21, 2026

Theory of Scientific Privilege

The systematic elaboration of scientific privilege as a framework for understanding the politics of knowledge. The Theory of Scientific Privilege argues that science is not a neutral pursuit of truth but a field of power—that certain scientific methods, institutions, and knowledge systems are privileged, others marginalized, and that this privilege reflects social hierarchies, not epistemic superiority. It traces how Western science became dominant, how it was used to justify exploitation and exclusion, how other knowledge systems were suppressed. It doesn't reject science; it calls for examining its privilege and opening space for other ways of knowing. The Theory of Scientific Privilege is the foundation of epistemic decolonization.

Example: "She'd believed science was simply the best way to know things—objective, universal, true. The Theory of Scientific Privilege showed her otherwise: science had a politics, a history, a relationship to power. Western science was privileged because of empire, not because it was better. She started learning from other knowledge systems, other ways of knowing, other truths."

Theory of Scientific Privilege by Abzugal February 21, 2026

Theory of Logical Privilege

The systematic elaboration of logical privilege as a framework for understanding the politics of reasoning. The Theory of Logical Privilege argues that logic is not a neutral tool but a field of power—that some logical systems are privileged, others marginalized, and that this privilege reflects social hierarchies, not cognitive superiority. It traces how Western logic became dominant, how it was used to justify colonialism and exclusion, how other logical traditions were suppressed. It doesn't reject Western logic; it calls for examining its privilege and opening space for other logics. The Theory of Logical Privilege is the foundation of logical decolonization.

Example: "He'd thought logic was above politics—pure reason, universal truth. The Theory of Logical Privilege showed him otherwise: logic had a history, a politics, a relationship to power. Western logic wasn't logic; it was a logic—privileged because of colonialism, not because it was better. He started learning other logics, other ways of reasoning, other tools for thought."

Theory of Logical Privilege by Abzugal February 21, 2026

Law of Scientific Privilege

The principle that certain scientific methods, institutions, and knowledge systems are granted unearned authority—privileged not because they're inherently superior but because they're associated with dominant power structures. The Law of Scientific Privilege argues that science is not neutral: Western science is privileged over indigenous knowledge, quantitative methods over qualitative, funded research over community inquiry. This privilege shapes what counts as knowledge, who gets to produce it, and who benefits. The law doesn't say privileged science is wrong; it says we should examine why it's privileged, what interests it serves, and what's excluded.

Example: "She'd been taught that science was simply the best way to know things. The Law of Scientific Privilege showed her otherwise: this science was privileged because it came from wealthy nations, because it served corporate interests, because it was backed by state power. Other ways of knowing existed, but they were marginalized. She started asking who benefited from her science's dominance."

Law of Scientific Privilege by Abzugal February 21, 2026