Yepp.
The distinction is between Adventure Roleplaying Games, and Thematic Roleplaying Games.
The idea behind is that most of all "traditional" RPGs are following the lines of adventure novels:
"Go to exotic (non day to day life) places, and overcome obstacles through brains and brawns. Suspense derives from the unsure outcome of the challenges. Exploration, sense of wonder, romantic entanglements are vital Elements for enjoyment, as the are enjoyed for their own sake and to load up the situation with meaning"
This leads to the setup we all know and love: GM in charge of the world, Players in charge of their character, doing cool stuff in unlikely places.
Thematic RPGing on the other hand only shares the method of Roleplay, but basicall is a different hobby. The difference is not unlike between Wargames (World in Flames) and German Games (Settlers of Catan).
TRPGs focus on Character centered Story development, and they go to great length to ensure that their chosen theme comes up during play.
To keep ARPGS interesting, you constantly change and elaborate the situation ( different adventures), whereas the character is, at it's roots, exchangable.
To keep TRPGS interesting, you have to keep changing players or games (that`s why there are so man narrow ones out there), whereas the situation is, at it's roots exchangable.
Furthermore there surely are hybrids, like Axis and Allies is a hybrid in another realm. "The Shadow of Yesterday" is one such hybrid approaching from the Thematic side, whereas you can have a thematic dimension in any regular adventure game too.
Thematic in that context means mostly: "concerning and exploring the nature of human emotions and conflicts".
The big fallacy is to think that the theory (forge) specifically developed for production and discussion of Thematic RPs is of any inherent value to the successfl conduct of Adventure Games.
Surely, a lot of gamers (Like Ron Edwards, starting with very character centered, un-adventerous Champions play) wanted to play thematic RPs right after learning about the RPG hobby. He actually did the bootstrap thing, and invented another type of game, to scratch this itch.
The big thing is: Most people don't have that itch.