The concept was first described by philosopher James P. Carse in his 1986 book "Finite and Infinite Games". In an infinite game, the players are engaged in an ongoing process, and their ultimate goal is to continue playing the game, rather than to win or lose. This means that the players must constantly adapt and change their strategies in order to stay in the game. Infinite games are often used as a metaphor for real-life situations in which there is no clear end point, such as politics, business, and even life itself.