The other power engine for the industry to develop will be browser games, a newly born Internet game type which run on Internet browsers, thanks to the development of online graphics technology such as Flash and Java. In 2011, revenues generated by browser games were barely more than 5 billion yuan, but Sun of Analysys estimated that the sector could easily double revenues by 2013.

The categories of China's browser games have diversified over the years. Between 2009 and 2010, strategy war games dominated the industry but took only 36 percent of the market by the end of 2011. "Browser-games have made the market colorful as new game types, such as role-play games and easy-to-learn casual sports games, were developed," said Analysys International.

Moreover, furious competitions in the Chinese mainland market may have stirred the game developers' interest in overseas markets. Chinese online game giants have taken steps to embrace the global market.

The nation's leading online game developers and operators, including Shanda Games, The9 Ltd and Giant Interactive Group Inc, announced their own overseas strategies for their browser-game departments as early as 2010. Major overseas markets include South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Alan Qunzhao Tan, chairman and chief executive officer of Shanda Games, announced in November that he plans to lift the company's overseas revenues from about 5 percent in 2011 to 20 percent three years later, sina.com reported.

A total of 131 Chinese online games, produced by 34 developers, entered the overseas market in 2011, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing Sun of the General Administration of Press and Publication. The overseas market helped to generate $360 million in revenues for Chinese developers in 2011, a jump of 56.5 percent year-on-year.