Victory in the Pacific New Edition - Interview with John Pack

There’s a new edition of Victory in the Pacific on the horizon, along with some companion games. Victory in the Pacific has maintained its popularity since its publication by Avalon Hill in 1977. A follow-up to War at Sea, Victory in the Pacific is on the lighter side of wargames, with area movement, straightforward, dice-based combat mechanics, and a victory point system rather than old-fashioned victory conditions. The game is also notable for having lots of named ships to provide flavor (“You sunk the Yorktown!”) and some rapid swings in momentum. I wonder: if Victory in the Pacific came out today, would there be a Twilight Struggle-style argument about whether it really is a wargame?