I preordered WOZ very early on, and also jumped on The Hobbit as soon as it was announced, and the preorder/pay model has worked well for me, but I won't be doing it again.
What I would like to see instead is a simple system where you put down a small amount, say $250-$500 on a game to secure your spot, deposit is refundable up to a certain point, then you must decide if you are in or out based on the progress that you have seen, your choice. After the deadline, funds are locked in, but you can sell your spot if you want to, and no further money is sent in until your game is ready to be shipped. To me this is a preorder model that makes sense for both the buyer and seller.