The folks at Nikkei Electronics/Nikkei Business Publishing in Japan ran a usability test of Playstation 3 and Wii consoles and found that both platforms (despite their use of “intuitive” motion control) were not entirely intuitive for users.

A panel of first-time users was brought in to install, configure and use both platforms, and in both platforms issues popped up with simple tasks like entering a name into the console’s memory, inserting discs, connecting controllers — even tasks as simple as turning the console on and off. As the Nikkei writers note, simple interface issues like this may not seem like big deals, but they can be big roadblocks to consumer satisfaction.

Our take on the issue is this: even if you make your motion-sensing devices almost completely foolproof, you’ve got to think of the bigger picture of the user interface. Relying upon users to read the manual and figure out the obscure, non-intuitive steps they need to perform to get up and running isn’t a good way of showcasing your user friendliness. The UI extends beyond just game play (or Web browsing or email or TV viewing or whatever app you’re controlling) and  needs to be refined and intuitive for the entire soup-to-nuts user experience.

Read the article here.