Traditionally the lull of the year, this summer has its share of promising games.

Summer is traditionally a slow time for new games, but this year might buck that trend.  With a number of high-profile releases and some games that have the potential to be under-the-radar sleeper hits, the summer of 2007 looks to be a good one for gamers.  This list of hot summer games stretches into early September, but don't forget that a few weeks after that comes Halo 3 to inaugurate the fall season on September 25.  Now, GWN presents its list of 10 games to watch our for this summer, 

DiRT - Codemasters, for Xbox 360/PC; June 19

The newest entry in the Colin McRae rally racing series, DiRT takes the off-road simulation in to the new generation with this Xbox 360/PC offering slated to hit later this month with a PlayStation 3 version later in the year.  The game will be time-trial heavy, but also include competitive, head-to-head matches in the single-player game.  The career mode will be substantial, but perhaps the most unique aspect of DiRT is the unique approach to multiplayer. 

Up to 100 players will be able to compete against each other in a single race, with one catch: each driver is locked in an “instanced” version of the track, racing by his or her lonesome against the times of other drivers.  Each player will race simultaneously, with updates on their times fed in increments to other competitors as they try to keep pace.  It’s a unique take on online racing, and while it may lack the visceral appeal of head-to-head competition, it certainly emphasis accurate and precise driving. 

Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition - Capcom, for Nintendo Wii; June 19

Capcom has gotten a lot of mileage out of the fourth entry in the Resident Evil series.  The game that reinvigorated the survival-horror franchise was ported from Gamecube to PlayStation 2 to PC, and now it comes full circle back to Nintendo’s new console. 

Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition will marry the award-winning original game to the new content found in the PS2 port and newly conceived motion controls.  Using the analog stick on the nunchuk attachment to move and the remote to control aiming and firing, gamers who enjoyed the older version of  the game should appreciate more precise control.  And for only $30, how can you go wrong, especially on a console starved for quality action titles?