I’m not quite sure what is the point of your post, but I’ll bite.
We are not scientist trying to classify species. We use various terms to describe games because these terms help us to more concisely describe a game to others -whether they be viewers, potential customers, friends, or people we’re arguing with on the internet.
Now, these terms were not defined by some authoritative body. They were developed on the fly (mostly) by journalists, advertisers, and gamers. As such, they are often broad, ambiguous, and fluid.
Naturally, I believe your argument to be fundamentally flawed. You assume that your definition of “sandbox” is the accepted definition of the term, and ignore the fact that calling Eve a “sandbox MMO” is more useful for describing Eve than other terms.
TLDR: Your argument is basically, Mass Effect is not an Action RPG because Diablo is an Action RPG.
ME = Baldur’s Gate in Space
Dialogue Wheel = Dialogue Choices
Paragon/Renegade = Alignment System
Planets = Towns and/or Dungeons
Star Map = World Map
Soldier = Fighter
Adept = Mage
Party Members = Party Members
And so on