Just a quick thought....   As I recall there was a game advertisement from the early to mid 70s (S&T?) calling wargames "paper time machines." "Relive the past," or some such promise lived in this full-page ad.  

A couple of months ago I managed to convince a fellow worker to give wargames another go; he was a lapsed gamer, having picked up the hobby in his youth (late-70s/early 80s).  He left the hobby after college.... work, marriage, kids....  the usual reasons I hear.

After a few hours of playing Lock n Load, he left the house absolutely "euphoric." I gave him a copy of the LnL:T "starter" game (a great service to the hobby, BTW; thank you LnL) He told me the next day, it was as exciting as when he played his first wargame. He felt 15 again.  

Paper time machine?