The company was founded by veteranentrepreneur and gamer Andrew Busey author of Secrets of the MUD Wizards andcreator of one of the

The company was founded by veteranentrepreneur and gamer Andrew Busey, author of Secrets of the MUD Wizards andcreator of one of the first instant messaging applications. Challenge Gamescurrently produces Planetstorm, Warstom, Duels and Baseball Boss – multiplayerweb-based games that combine the best features of collectible card games (CCGs)and online roleplaying games, with the convenience of the short-form gamingexperience. The company also holds a multi-year licensing agreement with MLBAdvanced Media, LP (MLBAM), the interactive media and Internet company of MajorLeague Baseball. Challenge Games is based in Austin, TX and is privately heldwith funding from Sequoia Capitol and Globespan Capital Partners. For moreinformation on Challenge games, visit Challenge Online Games, Inc.Jenny Bendel, 206-979-2202Director of Marketing & Copyright Business Wire 2009. AFL-CIO HIT Achieves Its Best Quarter Relative to Benchmark; StrongPerformance Contrasts With Stock Market DeclineHIT Continues to Demonstrate Value for Pension Investors with Its PrudentStrategy of High Credit Quality Investments WASHINGTON, April 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The AFL-CIO Housing InvestmentTrust (HIT) recorded the strongest quarterly returns in its history relativeto its benchmark in the first quarter of 2009, beating the benchmark by 258basis points (2.58 percentage points) on a gross basis and 246 basis points ona net basis.The HIT’s gross and net returns for the quarter were 2.69% and2.57%, respectively, versus 0.12% for its benchmark, the Barclays CapitalAggregate Bond Index. The quarterly returns continued a trend of strong performance by the HIT.

TheHIT’s one-year gross return of 6.55% for the period ending March 31, 2009,exceeded the Barclays Aggregate by 342 basis points. On a net basis, the HIT’sreturn of 6.11% outperformed the benchmark by 298 basis points for thatone-year period. “The HIT invests in the highest credit quality securities in order to provideits investors consistent performance, predictable income and capitalpreservation,” said Chang Suh, Executive Vice President and Chief PortfolioManager of the HIT “These securities are issued by the U.S. government andgovernment-sponsored enterprises and have performed well during this period ofeconomic turmoil.” Investors in the HIT include Taft-Hartley and publicemployee pension plans that have union member beneficiaries Mr. Suh noted that the HIT’s outstanding performance contrasted sharply withthat of the stock market, which has continued to experience problems.

For thefirst quarter of 2009, the market indexes showed negative returns for theStandard & Poor’s 500 Index (-11.7%), Dow Jones Industrial Average (-13.3%)and NASDAQ Composite Index (-3.1%). Over the last year, the declines weresharper: Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (-39.7%), Dow Jones Industrial Average(-38.0 %) and NASDAQ Composite Index (-32.9%).According to Mr. Suh, the HIT seeks to match the benchmark’s interest raterisk while substituting high credit quality multifamily mortgage-backedsecurities (MBS) for corporate securities in the benchmark. Spreads on thesegovernment agency and government-sponsored enterprise MBS tightenedsignificantly during the quarter as the market recognized their value anddemand increased. Corporate bonds, which the HIT does not hold, performedrelatively poorly over the quarter as financial market distress continued.Corporate bonds have not provided diversification relative to equities becauseboth reflect concerns about corporate financial strength during a deepeningrecession.