[bobnamob]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real-time_computing

Hard real time (or just "real time" in firmware/hardware contexts) is effectively a term of art. One that's been increasingly watered down by the rest of the industry.

Strict definitions matter when system failure == pacemaker missing a beat or train signalling system drives a freight train into the back of 400 passengers.

[hansworst]

But in gaming, real time means something different: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timekeeping_in_games#Real-time

Context matters.

[meheleventyone]

In game development we still care about the distinction between soft and hard realtime. Almost all games are soft realtime, even if the gameplay itself is turned based as we're processing user input, updating UI, animating things and so on.

[dontlaugh]

A lot of gameplay elements are firm realtime in practice, not unlike something like video decoding.