I got CIV IV complete and Elven Legacy at Gamersgate.
I think the problem here (for the sellers) is that we as consumers gets used to getting a great game for a few bucks. When I buy CIV IV complete for 6 Euros I find it harder to buy a new game for 50 Euros. There are always a great number of games on sale, why buy anything at release? A lot of games are pretty useless until patched a few times anyways (will not name names, will not...)
The only appeal I can see to buying a game within the first month of release is that:
-The multiplayer population will generally be at its strongest then. This is particularly important with co-op games.
-The competitive playing field will be level and diverse. Everyone is still learning the game, there's generally still lots of experimentation with tactics and strategies.
-If the developers are good ones that actually listen to the concerns of the community, this is best time to get your feedback in to try and improve things while there's still a patching budget.
-Initial sales impact budget for patching. If a flawed gem of a game does poorly on release, it may never get the polish it needs. Not saying people should buy broken games BTW, just saying this is how it works.
