Unsubscribers playing Destiny (Destiny)
EDIT: Re-reading Spencer's quote I understand that other players can be present, but what is the experience for them? They can't follow me on my story mission because I'm not a Gold subscriber?
Essentially, yes. There's a difference between people who just show up in a public area and people you are explicitly joined with as part of a fireteam.
This is not much different than the fact that you can play Halo single player by yourself without Live, but playing online co-op or PvP multiplayer does require it. Except in Destiny you do have the small bonus that you'll sometimes see human-controlled avatars out in the wilds.
Complete thread:
- Unsubscribers playing Destiny - 
Kermit, 
2014-07-05, 11:00 
- Unsubscribers playing Destiny - Yapok, 2014-07-05, 11:13
 - Unsubscribers playing Destiny - MrPadraig08, 2014-07-05, 11:15
 - Unsubscribers playing Destiny - INSANEdrive, 2014-07-05, 11:18
 - Unsubscribers playing Destiny - 
UnrealCh13f, 
2014-07-05, 12:37
- To quote INSANEdrive's post... - Xenos, 2014-07-05, 12:40
 - Unsubscribers playing Destiny - 
Kermit, 
2014-07-05, 21:46
- Unsubscribers playing Destiny - UnrealCh13f, 2014-07-07, 08:59
 
 
 - Unsubscribers playing Destiny - 
Cody Miller, 
2014-07-05, 15:23
- Unsubscribers playing Destiny - 
Kermit, 
2014-07-05, 21:38
- Unsubscribers playing Destiny - stabbim, 2014-07-05, 23:28
 
 
 - Unsubscribers playing Destiny - 
Kermit, 
2014-07-05, 21:38
 - Right from the beta site.... - Spawn, 2014-07-07, 06:19