Actually, it's worse. Bigger titles usually let you get into a paid "alpha" they call a beta by buying another game. Once that's done, the game is finished and what they call a launch product, but it's actually a paid open beta.
Patches and fixes are released, and if all goes well, the "real" launch product arrives about 3 to 6 months later, with a few more patches to fix regular bugs.
But of course, during the "open beta," the ridiculously overpriced DLC starts coming out. If it's on the disc, you're buying an unlock. If it's not, the earliest stuff was likely held back since games need to have DLC out on Day 1 and a few weeks after now.
Of course, if you want, you can buy an overpriced "season pass." You usually don't know what the contents are, but spend your money now in case it's good.
That's the games industry today, with some exceptions here and there.
You're in your 30's, I see. Remember when games were released "when they were done," featured lots of unlocks, and DLC wasn't called DLC yet and it was free as a courtesy to thank the fans for supporting the product? Remember actual expansion sets that cost as much as today's season passes, but actually had so much content they were basically half a new game?
And this is why I buy down the road. With sales. On GotY editions and such.
