I registered at KW this morning, thank you StJohn.
What is puzzling to those of us in the US is why PM feels the need to keep something secret when their marketing opportunities here continue to shrink. The largest US toy store chain carrying PM went bankrupt and closed in 2017. The small "Mom and Pop" toy stores still in existence aren't carrying PM anymore. The two largest US retail chains, Wal-Mart and Target, don't carry PM anymore. There are almost no opportunities for children or parents to "stumble upon" or discover the merchandise by happenstance -- as I and my children did in the mid 2000s via a small local toy store, when I first became aware of the brand. Yes, PM has its web site... but who knows it exists if you don't even know what the brand is in the first place?
It's not as though the US market is dead or not worth investing in. My forays on US Ebay have shown there is a real appetite for PM, and not just for parts -- I am facing tough competition on NISB sets, so the money and fanbase is there. Amazon (despite the ever-present Lego ads in PM searches) is also showing a good appetite for PM, as evidenced by the healthy "# of sets bought in last month" figure shown in each listing.
I understand PM reflects German culture (with all the attendant requirements for safety, security, privacy, etc.), but at some point they have to realize they need to exploit every marketing advantage they can. If they can release something to a fan site, they can release it to the world -- and should do so.