So here's a little industry secret to explain why PC versions of games aren't always available in the UK immediately.
The problem with PC UK is that in order for the stores to be able to slash prices so aggressively they demand enormous discounts from publishers/distributors. If they don't get their discounts, they don't take the game. When they then eventually get their discounts, grey importers buy large quantities of stock and sell them to other territories in Europe, destroying the market in those territories for the distributors/shops that bought the games at the normal trade price. Net result - for a publisher it can actually be more interesting not to release a PC version in the UK in order to protect the other PC markets.
And yes, the second hand market is affecting the game industry heavily.
