They posted online that if they don't reach 10 million pre-orders, all of that money goes to charity. Tens of thousands of people have seen it, so they have to. This isn't a gamble. It's not a scam. It's a very unrealistic goal, but I'm still going to do it just for the sake of it.
Now, if they do miraculously pull this off, they pocket 90% of the money, send 10% to charity (which is still $1 million), and at the end of the deal, we all get the game for $1. This is a win/win scenario. What's cool is that they make a cool $9 million on this project, which probably cost them roughly $200k to make. Everyone wins.
If you can't part with a single dollar, PC gaming is not the place for you (it's an expensive hobby)