James P. Carse
You can play to win within fixed rules and end the contest, or play in a way that keeps the play going by treating rules and boundaries as open to change.
Finite games are played within fixed boundaries to defeat opponents and claim titles, whereas infinite games play with boundaries to invite others into continuous, evolving play.
Because all participation in finite games is inherently voluntary, players must mask their freedom and adopt a serious, theatrical role to compete convincingly.
A finite player trains to control the future and prevent surprise, while an infinite player is educated to expect surprise and be transformed by it.