BEIJING -- China's mobile-based online games grew rapidly last year, powering growth in the country's game industry, the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) has said.

A CNNIC report showed China had 248 million mobile online game players by the end of 2014, surging 32.9 million from the previous year.

Thanks to the development of 4G network and smartphone hardwares, China's online game players are turning from computers to mobile phones, a new powerhouse to drive the vibrant sector, according to the report.

The number of people accessing the Internet from mobiles totaled 557 million by the end of last year, up 56.7 million year on year and accounting for 85.8 percent of China's total online population.