In addition to the promise of a broad, loyal consumer base, social games offer the appeal of interaction with one's friends and family in the real world.
This led to 53% of those questioned saying that new technologies had increased the quality of their contact with distant family members, while 47% said it improved interaction with those they live with.
In my twenty years as a doctor in the Emergency Room, I have never written to a patient or family member, as our encounters are typically hurried and do not always allow for more personal interaction.