Maybe if someone said they are going to design a game as a game developer... and then later decide to sell it or start their own pinball company people would give them more leeway.
But when people come out of the gate "We're gonna start a pinball company! No we don't have product, nor experience, but don't worry, we're gonna make great games!" -- That's when everyone piles on because they know it almost never works.
If you were to start out being a manufacturing company - you should have experience and resources to do that.. but instead people keep making the mistake of trying to be a pinball manufacturer by trying to build a game studio.
You can be a game studio without being a pinball manufacturer. And being the best game studio doesn't make you suited to being a pinball manufacturer. They are basically two different things.
Nearly every startup did this same thing. Heighway, JPOP, Deeproot, etc. Meanwhile industry pros like Nordman, Lawlor, Richie, and others were able to function as studios that created concepts a manufacturer was willing to buy. Of course, your reputation and history makes that a lot easier. But look at Scott D (TNA), and Scott G (LOV).. where you focus on building a game - not a pinball company. Haggis is really the only standout .. and they at least kept ambitions in check. Spooky was even smaller and rightfully kept their factory ambitions in line with their ability to create games. Those who actually got good product to market... TNA, LOV, TBL, Quetzal, etc.. They chose a competency and focused on that. People who tried to be everything all out of order.. like Heighway.. flop. People like Suncoast simply weren't good enough at it.