Damn, very possibly this means that we won't see Borderlands or Homeworld games here then too if Gearbox is turning to drm.

Makes sense I guess. So is that the case here, ie. that "story mode" is merely some kind of short tutorial to train you to play the multiplayer part?

I assumed that by calling it a "story mode", it is a separate experience in a game, like playing a Starcraft campaign (with a story and specific missions) instead of skirmish or multiplayer (without a story).

I don't know, I haven't played it, PR will certainly spin it as a ground-breaking story mode which will bust your nuts or some such. But from my experience with games developed primarily for multiplayer (and that's what this game absolutely is, there's no doubt about it), historical precedent would say such single-player modes were used to familiarize players with the mechanics before they get thrown into MP.

I could be wrong of course, it might very well be 20 hours long SP campaign which will rival Bioshock Infinite in scope and narrative, and in that case Gearbox should certainly invest a bit more into making such a mode stand-alone so that it can be played once the main game shuts down - but somehow I very much doubt this.

It wouldn't be hard to rival Bioshock Infinite in narrative. :P

Pretty damn hard, actually. Regardless of you liking/not liking the game's story, writing, whatever, inclusion of narrative into exploration, level design and a crapton of subtle hints thrown into just about every aspect of what the game presents the player with is extraordinary and rarely seen in other games. I'm not talking about subjective interpretation here - I'm talking about pure, objective, technical brilliance you have to adore regardless of your opinion of the game itself.

Alternatively we can be edgy and go with "Hurr durr but it sucks" :-P

Hope this game fails hard and hits gearbox in their face for ruining duke nukem

I like being edgy. :P
I just hated the gameplay. The story was the only thing that actually convinced me to force myself through the actual game.

Considering these are the douchenozzles who frauded customers (and Sega) with Aliens: Colonial Marines, I can't say anything they do is a shock.

I was lukewarm on Borderlands and only played the first one, so boycotting Gearbox's stuff after the 'Pitchfraud' debacle has actually proved easy for me. They're console games makers anyway, so PC ports having DRM doesn't really make a difference to me even if I really wanted to buy something they made, I'd get it on PS4 or XBone anyway.

A game designed for online multiplayer, is going to be online only.... I am truly shocked....

Edit... Oh... By the way, having online only is not the same as DRM....

Just chuck that last line out there, you know its going to cause controversy ;O)

As for Gearbox, I do own a couple of their products, back in the days of HL. Must have been about 2003 ish they dropped off my radar and have not done anything worthy of my attention since. Don't expect this is going to change my opinion.
As for the game battleborn, it looks like the same generalised, dumbed down, stylized, garbage that all big publisher spew out daily. Zero substance. So no, no loss for me.

For a single player game yes it is. MMO no.
Im actually hoping Gearbox tanks it hard one day. Forget Homeworld franchise ever coming here.. :/

Sorry to tell you MMO's (marketing term) were the original DRM'd game, anyone who understood how computers worked and weren't irrational avoided them. They are just DRM'd RPG's with a multi-player component, Ultima online proved the server shard software could be run by the players for free. So sorry to tell you there's no logical reason for gamers not to have the server software, companies just don't release it and take advantage of the tech illiteracy of the masses.

Most gamers today are pretty stupid and won't stand up for their rights sadly because they aren't the brightest bunch.

Alternatively they have more important battles to fight than DRM in videogames. It might come as a shock to you, but for most people, videogames are very, very low on their list of priorities.

Gearbox... a company that, while I did heard their name previously of course, just got on my radar last year. Not a good sign for a gaming company I guess. But apparently they don't need more players/fans/money and are satisfied in their current enclosed enviroment. *shrug*