I'll be honest; I'm someone who has come late to the gaming scene in general. I looked down on my gamer friends because I was trying to impress my father. Nowadays, I ignore any of the 'conventional' wisdom of the world. Because quite frankly, video games have been a source of great stress relief for me as well as a place I can go to 'recharge' my own creativity.
I first heard of Mass Effect from a friend of mine who played it. I had decided to get an Xbox 360 finally, and asked him what games he would recommend. He said that, considering my preference for action and sci fi, he would suggest ME. I bought the system and the game soon after and began playing it. Unlike most people, though, I played as an Adept the first time through.
I got the system and game around a year ago. Been a fan ever since. Once I finished my first playthrough of ME1, I got ME2 and began playing it. I found the change a bit confusing, but altogether a much better playing experience. Only thing I missed was the variety of armor and weapons.
I've been a fan ever since I began my first Mass Effect playthrough. The depth of story and history that BioWare has fleshed out for Mass Effect is just so encompassing that whenever someone sneers about RPGs, I have to stop myself from pointing out the flaws in non-RPG'.s, usually something like GTA, which I also enjoy.
I do hope that, while the trilogy will be finished this year, Mass Effect games will continue to be a main stay. They're just far too entertaining, and the galaxy-wide intrigue too widespread to be told in a three-game series. I truly hope that BioWare manages to succeed in their attempt to create a successful Sci-Fi trilogy of games that are affected by previous games. If they manage it, and considering the fan base I wouldn't be surprised, than we're in for a wild ride once the final game is done.
To give an idea of how much I like BioWare's style and RPG's in general: I currently own the Mass Effect games, Dragon Age II, and two non-RPG games, GTA IV and Too Human. TH only because I can't find anyplace to sell it. (I did have DA:O and Awakening, but quite frankly I found the whole 'non-voiced' character thing to be tiresome.