Of course it differs from person to person, but as I keep saying, these terms have histories. The "you play a role" argument runs completely counter to the history of the term "RPG" when being applied to gaming. Now the JRPG vs WRPG argument that you brought up has some legs. It's looking at the history of the term and searching for both continuity and breaks. It's a reasonable interpretation. "Serious Sam is an RPG because I play the role of Sam," however, is not.
And remember, folks, in the end, this a pointless debate that's being done for the sake of debating. But that's no reason not to enjoy it.
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