Clearly, for me at least, this is showing up some of the shortcomings of the way the AppStore is structured, both on the iPhone/iPod and iTunes. There is simply not enough scope to find what you need in a pot with over 100,000 apps.
I have used the release date to push sales of my own app with periodic updates, so this is one less avenue to promote my wares. Maybe a 'Latest updates' list could be considered. Maybe if Apple gave us a better search facility with sub category search or defined types, this would improve things as a marketplace. After all, Apple earn their cut, and it can only be better for them. I am always amused by the 'Top Grossing' list. A very capitalist view. Quite a few of the apps I have bought are not on any list, but I found them through pure chance and a few lazy evening browses.
As always, Apple decide what they do and how their software works.