Well im glad you documented it as I was getting confused with who was making what.
The notion that you pay upfront for something unseen and in fact just an idea and a promise on the part of the manufacturer is unique to pinball alone. Until this sales pitch became the norm, only the cockney barrow boys in London could get people to part with good money for something they had on their mind.. the items were always as dodgy as hell and you came away knowing that you got ripped off by a smiling cheeky bugger.
The debacle at JJP has really brought to the fore just how fragile this type of marketing can be. Is the end game good?? Well that's always a matter of opinion and one mans great game is a complete turn off for others.. so to stump money upfront and hope for the best???...F**king hell.. you've got to have screws loose to do this.
Personally, I wouldn't pay for a machine unseen, its just not common sense. I know you can get the game a bit cheaper, but in all honesty be it $5K or $7K, its still a shit load of cash for a toy.
Now you can throw out a title that the manufacturer is to release and that title may sound like it could be done well, but that doesn't mean my idea of it is going to be on par with the manufacturers.
 JJP's artwork for Hobbitt is just SO ordinary and predictable. Had I put money upfront for this, id be regretting it now. I see nothing that inspires me.
The lower PF for The Big Lebowski looks really cool and I like it a lot. Wasn't keen on the title but I may end up wanting one. Its snippets like this that get me excited.
TAG??... I reckon could be a cracker of a title and im busting to see something that equates to the game play/ artwork etc. Until then, theres nothing really to talk about.
Spooky? Artwork looks very "Scooby Dooish" and I like it but so far nothing to inspire any desire and its just as well its self funded.
Skit B have played a clever game.. limit the numbers and let it be known... collectors LOVE LE and pinheads like to own the rarer titles... BUT.. rare often means that production stopped due to a boring and non profitable game, so rare is not always best.
Vonni D - I like their style, its punchy and left of centre.. im hoping that the machine is in the same nature.. but again, its all potatoes and gravy with no meat to look at.

This is my take on it and my thoughts are that if you are willing to buy something that you know nothing about then your bloody bonkers!