THE WEEKLY WAVE

Welcome back to Inked Gaming’s Weekly Wave! Let’s see what news, updates, and announcements have risen to the surface this week!

Trey Lance’s rookie sells high at auction!

With football season upon us once again, we thought the time was just right to see what and who’s making headlines in the football sports card world. While Brady and Mahomes continue to top the charts, a young gunslinger from Frisco is already beginning to see his sports card stock rise…and his name is Trey Lance!

With Jimmy G in QB limbo, Lance is positioned to be the 49ers starting signal-caller in 2022. After coming off a 2021 rookie campaign that showed some promise, expectations are high, and that seems to be showing, both on and off the field. Usually, we see rookie cards sell for staggering amounts AFTER a player has established themselves as a front-runner in the league. But, that wasn’t the case when Trey Lance’s 2021 Panini Flawless Platinum NFL Shield Patch Rookie Autograph card went on the auction block last week. 

What makes this particular card so special? Well, aside from it having both Lance’s autograph and an actual patch from his 49er jersey, it’s also the only one in existence, which is always a key selling point for every sports card. Once the gavel came down, this one-of-one rookie card had a bid for $132,000 attached to it, which is quite a jump from his original rookie that sold for just over $60,000 not too long ago.

Sometimes, all it takes for a young QB to reach their full potential and play their best ball is a little boost of confidence. And to see his rookie card sell for six figures before the season even begins may be the boost he needs. We’ll see what happens this season! 

Pokémon is donating $25 million to 41 worthy causes!

Over the next five years, Pokémon International has pledged $25 million of its dollars to help support children and minority groups in need. It’s actually quite fitting since Pokémon celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2021 and is now donating $25 million in 2022. According to the tweet that they put out last week, the money is intended to directly support “organizations that improve the lives of children around the world and social equity”. 

According to the Inclusion & Social Impact page on their official site, TPCi (The Pokémon Company International) will be helping to support 41 different causes during these next five years and is expected to add more to that list over time. Those causes include:

Whether it’s supporting families, providing aid, giving away toys, or stopping hate, Pokémon is committed to making the world a better place for those who need the very best in order to continue on their journey. They call this their Philanthropic Mission. We’re looking forward to seeing the impact that they make over these next five years, and to seeing more Philanthropic Partners added to their list as well! 

New Dall-E by Open AI art is available now!

It’s fun to let the machines have their day, especially while the Inked Gaming in-house artist team is hard at work…and play. Dall-E By Open AI is our newest AI art system and has recently delivered a brilliant batch of designs that we have to show you. Just like some of the previous work that it’s produced, Dall-E’s latest art is vibrant, detailed, and a lot of fun to look at, especially on our gear. But don’t just take our word for it, see for yourself.

As a product of Open AI, Dall-E has been trained to take our requests/ideas and turn them into stunning artwork like the pieces shown above. We think it, and Dall-E creates it. That sounds like a good system to us.

Just like the human side of our in-house design team, Dall-E is constantly churning out awesome-looking art, which is being added to our site every week. So, if you like what you see, keep your eye on Dall-E’s collection page and pick a favorite art to add to your art today!

That’s all for now! Stay tuned for our next edition of The Weekly Wave for more fun stories and updates!

Sincerely,

Inked Gaming