Third Time Unlucky

Well Mass Effect 3 is finally upon us and already the nerds are out in force. Last week I mentioned putting in the effort not to pay any attention to anything about ME3 and just make the effort to play it myself without any outside influence - but it hasn't been easy. All I've been hearing is how great the game is UNTIL the last five/fifteen minutes.
So despite my best efforts, some scraps of information have slipped through the net. Thus it seems that there are three endings available but all of them are determined through a simple choice selection and none of them are a 'happy' ending. Thus, all the player's efforts go to waste, Bioware's promises of 'every decision matters' comes across as hollow and Shepard doesn't get to ride off into the sunset.

Whilst I have yet to play ME3 and decide for myself, I have to admit that the fan-rage is so great and so furious that it can't be ignored. And some of the anger is interesting to read: Accusations at Bioware for copping out, accusations at Bioware for not putting enough effort into the ending, accusations at Bioware for not living up to their promise of making the decisions matter, accusations at Bioware for a lack of happy ending, and demands for DLC for a 'proper' ending.

Isn't nerd rage fun to read?

Well there certainly are some valid points. No one likes to be ripped off with a ending that is obtuse. No one likes to put in so much effort and get a kick in the balls in return. I recall saying the ending to Starcraft was a lousy payoff considering the effort I put into it and it's the same thing here. People have spent so much time with their own Shepard and building up a bond with them and their crewmates so to have anything less than a happy ending is unacceptable. Some might turn up their nose at a happy ending but I disagree: Happy endings CAN work provided they are done well. And sad endings seem to be dime-a-dozen in games these days so to do a happy ending would certainly make for a change of pace. Therefore to have Bioware go for three sad endings does seem to stink of cop-out. What, coudn't they at least offered a happy endings to the devotees who did EVERYTHING?
If anything, it seems Bioware underestimated their fans in that they would be the type who would go to extraordinary lengths and play every inch out of the game presented to them - indeed, they went so far to admit that they didn't expect anyone to keep all ten (plus two) crew members alive in the suicide mission in ME2 and Bioware themselves had written themselves into a corner (although in hindsight that may have been a telling sign).
Indeed, the outrage and the demands to rectify this seems, to me, a level of denial that will give the death of Aerith a run for it's money.

Somehow though, I can't help but feeling like the comparison of Mass Effect 2 with Empire Strikes Back may have jinxed it....