This kind of thing happens because the indie or AA devs traverse the dunning kruger curve, as they develop the game.

They often initially think things will be easier than they actually are. Then, the reality of the complexities of game dev hits them in the mouth. After that… they become more measured in their public promises.

Better to underpromise and overdeliver, than to overpromise and underdeliver.

Whereas AAA/corpo games… the entire plan the whole time is to bait and switch you, if they don’t become astoundingly successful basically instantly.

See, they have a marketing budget and the salaries of a bloated management hierarchy they need to cost justify, quickly, because line must go up.