It'd be one thing if one bad egg spoiled the bunch, but it does seem like every pre-order system involving a startup has failed, and that's pretty much killed the model now. The only company that has delivered on time (in a pre-order system) is Stern (minus good code).
SPoOky pinball just doesn't force buyers into that (but I'm sure they appreciated some pre-order money to get them started with parts). Even if spooky's next title isn't killer, they may get orders on reputation alone.