UPDATE 3-Nintendo Q3 profit doubles on Wii, outlook raised

(Adds Nintendo executive's comments, details, background)

By Kiyoshi Takenaka

OSAKA, Japan, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Robust holiday sales of Wii and DS game machines helped Japan's Nintendo Co Ltd (7974.OS) more than double its quarterly operating profit and prompted it to raise its outlook beyond market expectations.

Its Wii console, which features a motion-sensing controller, and the double-screened DS handheld game gear have opened the way to innovative new games -- helping Nintendo attract a wide range of new users, including women and the elderly.

Wii sales topped Sony Corp's (6758.T) PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) Xbox 360 in both the United States and Japan last year.

"Solid results, but the market's attention is already on the year ahead," said Takeshi Osawa, a senior fund manager at Norinchukin Zenkyoren Asset Management.

"I would like see how the firm will maintain its growth for the next several years."

Operating profit at Nintendo, creator of game characters Mario and Zelda, came to 205.3 billion yen ($1.93 billion) in October-December, up from 100.5 billion yen a year earlier, according to Reuters calculations. Nintendo only gave results for the nine months to December.

Net profit in October-December rose 63 percent from the same period a year earlier to 126.5 billion yen on sales of 621.6 billion yen, up 50 percent, as gamers were drawn to its ground-breaking models.