Do i need to play both mass effect 1 and 2 for the full expirence of mass effect 3?

I'm gonna get mass effect 3, but i haven't played either of the first 2. I've heard playing the first one is unnecessary to get the full experience of the 3rd. Is this true?Do i need to play both mass effect 1 and 2 for the full expirence of mass effect 3?
If you create a ME1 character, you'll be able to completely carry over your entire storyline, items, powers, and gameplay/story decisions into ME2, which will shape how the second game proceeds in a major, major way. The same applies from ME2 to ME3.

I'd recommend starting a ME1 character rather quickly, so you can have the full experience. (:

Or you can just play ME3 if you don't want to play the others, but you'll be doing yourself a major disservice.Do i need to play both mass effect 1 and 2 for the full expirence of mass effect 3?
Yes. In order to fully get it you need to play all of them including all DLC.

The reason is Bioware decided to keep major plot choices the player made from game to game - for example you could kill Wrex in ME1 so you can't meet him in ME2 and subsequently in ME3 and of course whoever gets killed in ME2 final mission won't turn up in ME3 and that are just the simple deaths, there are a whole lot of other things that carry over.

You will still be able to enjoy the game if you never played the previous parts but it won't be 'your' world - and where is the fun in that? MY first run through ME2 was by using the 'canon' option supplied by Bioware so that players without a ME1 save can play too - and I hated it. What that Shepard did in ME1 I would never have done.Do i need to play both mass effect 1 and 2 for the full expirence of mass effect 3?
I have to agree with the person above me. Playing ME3 without ME2 or ME1 first doesn't give the game justice.