Circumstances change over time, but with technology, you can now continue your games with friends in remote locations. It can actually work surprisingly well. The restrictions can work to reduce time wasted on talking about other stuff and concentrate participants on the game.

Sometimes.

Transcript

GM: Hi Annie, Jim. Ready?
Jim: Yep!
Opening Crawl: EPISODE VI - THE JEDI RELOADED. Luke Amidala has returned to his home planet of Tatooine in an attempt to rescue his friend "Han Solo" from the clutches of the vile gangster Jabba the Hutt.
Annie: Okay, that's really hard to read on our end. Can you stop moving the webcam and hold it perpendicular to the paper?
Opening Crawl: Little does Luke know that the GALACTIC EMPIRE has secretly begun construction on a new armored space station even more powerful than the first dreaded Peace Moon. When completed, this ultimate weapon will spell certain doom for the small band of rebels struggling to restore freedom to the galaxy...
Annie: Much better.