I can't think of one game that was released in full release that was unfinished. I don't mean bugged or crappy, mind you, but unfinished as in there were features missing that were going to be added later according to official statements from a developer. Also game changing features are usually added for free only by small indie teams, larger game companies will release DLCs instead. What games did you have in mind when you wrote that?
Every paradox game (even the ones they just publish like Cities Skylines), every total war game after Rome 2, and almost every AAA open world loot box nonlinear title where they add significant features to keep people interested. It seems to be the dominant model now. The entire media industry is pivoting from 1 time purchases to neverending subscription models for everything, and that includes video games.
I also think it's short sighted to only consider a game "unfinished" if the developers say so. They can say literally anything. I would for example consider Warband (along with practically every other game I've modded) to be unfinished because a lot of its intended features are nonfunctional or disabled. There is literally unfinished code in the API.
I don't think TW is in it just for the money, or they would have just released the game in full release with some nominal bug fixes and called it a day.
Every company is in it for the money, and the PR counts as part of that. For example free range eggs cost more to make, but overall they can make more money because pretending chickens are sentient allows you to charge more money. Or for example you can buy some stupid starbucks coffee where 5% of the price goes to some charity, but really that percentage is there as a tax to sooth the guilt of overspending middle class coffeedrinkers, giving them an edge over other less """ethical""" coffee shops. In modern business everything is cynical, everything is systemic, there are no morals and the only real goal is to keep the company growing.
Even though Callum isn't explicitly lying, his job is to make Taleworlds more money than they pay him, and that comes indirectly by managing expectations and mitigating backlash. A company just releasing a game and going radio silence would also be in it for the money, they just wouldn't be very good at it. I almost want to applaud Callum for how effective his simple "don't expect much" statements were.