Best Linked Progressive Product
| Nominees | |
| Manufacturer | Title |
| Aristocrat | Cash Express |
| Aristocrat | Fa Fa Fa |
| Bally | Blazing 7s Hot Shot |
| IGT | Party Time |
| Konami | Fire & Ice |
| WMS | Jackpot Party |
| WMS | Life of Luxury |
Winner: Aristocrat Technologies – Cash Express
Aristocrat’s Cash Express powered its way onto the US market back in 1992 as the company’s first linked progressive. Since then, Cash Express has gained traction all over the world, including Asia, showing the benefits that come when a company gets a product right first time.
In Cash Express, a random trigger signals the train whistle to blow during play on Aristocrat’s MKVI base game. The lucky player is transported into the second-screen bonus with five spinning reels. The player touches a button to stop each reel, which reveals a number. The numbers are added together to accumulate the score and the score determines which of the four levels of jackpots are won. Once in the bonus round, a player is guaranteed to win one of the four progressive jackpots.
Such is the power of ‘The Train Game’, as it is popularly known among players in Macau, that it will take a very strong product to knock Cash Express off the top spot in next year’s IAG Supplier Awards.
Not only is Cash Express popular on the mass gaming floor in Macau, but it has also been installed in the VIP room run by Hong Kong-listed junket aggregator Neptune at Galaxy’s StarWorld resort on the Macau peninsula.
A Hyperlink version of Cash Express featuring four-level random progressive games was launched on the US market in 2005. Aristocrat’s Hyperlink progressive suite of products includes Cash Express; Cash Express Penny Train; Jackpot Carnival; and Millioni$er, which offers players the chance to win up to a US$1 million jackpot on a penny slot.
Honourable Mention: International Game Technology – Party Time!
This six-level mystery progressive is another quality product from IGT that performs well across Asian markets.
It features a free spin bonus and frequent mid-level progressive wins—a highly popular feature with Asian players. Successive jackpots create player anticipation as they move through six levels.
Party Time! is available on three platforms—Game King, Reel Touch, and S2000. This progressive product is linked to a variety of IGT games on the Party Time! in-house link system. The Party Time! library allows for mixed or independent theme game banks.
Linked, multi-progressive game play with the IGT Progressive Controller can handle up to 63 games at once, and offers a selection of payback percentages and reset amounts.
The product has as an eye-catching top box with 19-inch flat screen LCD monitor to display six progressive jackpot levels. It features the hit song, ‘Let’s Get This Party Started’.
