Cloud-gaming startup Shinra launches its Kansas City test

You don’t need a powerful processor to play triple-A games on your computer … you just need to live in Kansas City and have superfast Internet speeds.

Cloud-gaming startup Shinra Technologies has announced that its technical beta testing phase has begun in Kansas City today. This is a precursor to an open beta that far more people in North America will have access to, but — for now — Shinra wants to stress-test its system to ensure that it works. That’s why it is making this test free for any Google Fiber users in the Missouri city.

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Those players who get access will have the chance to play games like the 2013 Tomb Raider, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and Final Fantasy VII International. Shinra is also making its original game Space Sweeper, which it defines as a massively multiplayer online shooter, and a special tech demo called The Living World available to all of its customers.

Space Sweeper features a classic look and retro gameplay, but the MMO aspect is the new twist that Shinra is adding to make its game stand out. This likely means that players will have to work with or against one another in a shared world. The Living World, however, is not quite a game. Instead, Shinra plans to use it to show off what its cloud-gaming service can do that traditional gaming platforms may struggle with.

Shinra will definitely want to get its streaming games fully functioning before trying to roll out a full consumer product. Consumers are skeptical of gaming on a remote server after watching the similar service OnLive come onto the market and dissolve after a few years. The big concern among hardcore players is that the potential lag between pressing a button and having it register on the screen will lead to a subpar experience.

So if you’re in Kansas City and have Google Fiber, you can sign up for a chance to partake in this beta by going to Shinra’s registration page.