If Lara Croft owes success to any one man, Rob Dyer--for six years the president of Eidos Interactive's North American operation--might be the guy. But that relationship came to a close today with news that Dyer will soon leave the Eidos fold for game distributor and publisher Crave Entertainment. Crave is a privately held company with roots in software distribution, although it also has an active lineup of value-priced titles, including the upcoming Bad Boys: Miami Takedown, Trigger Man, and Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3.

　　In a statement, Crave Entertainment Group CEO Nima Taghavi said, "[Dyer] brings a wealth of experience from his successful leadership roles at Eidos Interactive and Crystal Dynamics, as a proven presidential strategist and practical profit builder." Before joining Eidos, Dyer was president of game developer Crystal Dynamics.

　　In a conversation with Dyer this morning, he spoke at length about the opportunities ahead at Crave, specifically in the area of value-priced games. "If you look at what consumers are buying and how the sub-$20 price line is growing," Dyer said, "this is the time to make hay."

　　Asked to comment on what he hopes to bring to the Crave agenda, he said his aim was to give more credibility to Crave's ongoing distribution business. "I want to make sure publishers see us as a true independent." And on the publishing and development side, Dyer says he will "mine categories that we think are underserved, that don’t need to have great licensees attached, but where you can still make good solid games for a value price that consumers are going to want to have."

　　As far as there being any regrets about leaving Tomb Raider and the other well-known game franchises in the Eidos library behind, Dyer said, "I'm going to absolutely miss the ability to make a big splash--and I truly believe Tomb Raider's going to make a very solid comeback. I wish I was going to be part of that when it does come back."

　　Dyer will remain with Eidos through September 10.