You keep attacking the use of the "promise". I don't know if English is your first language, but people making this claim in the thread aren't using the word in the sense of a pinky promise. They don't need to say "we promise to ship this, for real!" If a game developer says a game will launch in 2016 and provides publicity material such as posters implying this fact, then they are "promising". If I tell you that I will follow up on an email you sent me, I've made you a promise; if you set an expectation, you've made a promise to someone.

For the record, I've only heard of Star Citizen and never funded it, played it or engaged with the community.