The sandbox

I apparently don't spend enough time reading about gaming theory.  I have run across a new (to me) term - that is, "sandbox".

The idea, as near as I can tell, is that the "sandbox" is a style of RPG where there isn't any direction or plot, rather, a world to explore for the players, and the GM just adapts to whatever they want to do.  Explore, or get into a beef with someone, or whatever.


I honestly can't say I like games like this, and I'm wondering why.  I've certainly played in them before, although it's really been years since I even encountered one of these.

If I had to guess, it seems far too open ended for my taste, at least these days.  It seems to imply a long campaign, which is not something I have time for, anymore, and also seems to lack what I find increasingly interesting in gaming, which are in-character limits and specifics.  In other words, I really want less freedom, not more.  I want hard choices, and when I've got the freedom to just wander away from trouble, that lessens the fun for me.  Far better, for me at least, to have a very constrained character, which some sort of goal or problem, and a limited set of tools to accomplish it.

Am I interpreting this term correctly?  How do you feel about these sorts of games?