I'd give the conspiracy theory some credence if Funcom hadn't gone and admitted that the open beta code was fubared because they threw in some last minute changes in the hours before the open beta started, and actually delayed the open beta to get those changes shoved into the client.

I think assuming that they released something buggy just to look good in another two weeks, when they release polished final game code, is giving them too much credit. Especially if the buggy open beta code contributes to people not buying the game at launch. We all know that a good launch goes a long way toward overall success of a game. It's the rare mmo that gets a slow start and then picks up steam. It's even more rare for fantasy-themed mmo's.