Quoted from Chalkey:Them showing you, pinball media, things that they legitimately don't want to get out without an NDA. Then you not reporting anything. The mind reels.
This is really common in the video game industry (among many others).
Why? You show the press your game early so they can be prepared before you launch. You wouldn't want to launch a game and have a three week delay while the press plays your game and then reviews it, would you? No, you want the press to gush about your game just a little before your game launches.
And nobody breaks embargo because they would be blacklisted. NDA not required, just common (business) sense.