I'm sorry, that email would not instill me with any confidence if I was a customer. It has no substance and doesn't acknowledge the elephant in the room. As communication goes, that was an epic fail and probably worse than saying nothing.

Because I'm a future potential customer (or was). Too many people get hung up on that same question without seeing the forrest through the trees.

If a spokesman for a company insults my intelligence by going out of their way to not address an issue that is clearly on the minds of many, that's not someone I'm going to give the benefit of the doubt or have a lot of confidence in.

All of the boutique pinball makers are going to have to learn that communications and keeping customers informed is the most critical aspect of their business, especially when initial customer expectations are not met and delays go from being months to years.

I do the same thing in real life. I give everyone the benefit of the doubt. But if you BS me or break your word, not only do you no longer get the benefit of the doubt, but you almost certainly lose me if there is a next time.

This is a better answer than mine.