Something all of these games had in common was the fact they were mediocre at best. Back then, TT wasn't even a B-tier developer. They made crappy ports and moviegames. Some of them were ok, some of them were downright awful. I've played a few of their games (especially the crash games) and what they lacked was a lot of polish, better gameplay and, of course, soul. These were quick and dirty games that simply weren't that good. If anything, their best achievement back then was making games that were impressive on a technical level. Unfortunately, the games themselves were mainly uninspired and mediocre.
Maybe what they really lacked was a franchise to call their own?
The lego franchise gave them that. I still remember when the first Lego Star Wars game released on PS2. I've always been a lego fan so this was like a dream coming true for my PS2. It even had a tiny "sandbox" bar where you could purchase new characters and fight battles by simply shooting at a random minifigure in the bar. It was quite hilarious. The Star Wars IP helped a lot too, it was pretty much the perfect theme to start their LEGO franchise. The (now iconic) cutscenes were pretty hilarious for my younger self.
Of course, they still had a long way to go. They finally had a franchise that didn't only sell (very) good, but was also good. Still, the games still lacked something. They were great and funny, but also short and easy. I don't think the difficulty really changed all that much (their focus is still on children, even in 2013) but the length of the game was something that could be improved. It had personality though, from the minifigure humor to the "bizarre" puzzles that still exist in the newer games.
So yeah, TT knew they had a pretty good franchise on their hands. The publishers knew it too. So what do you do? You expand it with more movie IP's. Indiana Jones, Batman, Harry Potter, Pirates of The Caribbean... TT did it all.
Surprisingly, all of them were fun. The déjà vu feeling in some of them was strong, but (for me) IP's like Pirates of The Caribbean were brilliant. It might be a lego game, but it beats any other Pirates movie game out there. And it's the same for the other IP's. These games weren't trying to change the landscape, they simply did what they had to do: deliver a fun experience for children (and by now, adults too!). And every game always had something worth playing the entire game for: ships you could buy, secret endgame levels, many characters to purchase. TT knows what people want in a lego game.
Still, they had to do improve something to make the games even more interesting. The polish and fanservice were pretty great, but what could they add to make the game longer?
That's right, an entire open world "sandbox" for you to explore. The third generation of Lego Games was born, and it was great. This was lego fanservice at its best. Explore Gotham City. Explore Middle-Earth. Explore the Lego City! Wander around the Avengers Helicarrier and visit the Stark tower! Again, this is why the lego games are so much fun. They know what people want. These games are filled with personality, fanservice, humour and... fun. A huge difference versus TT's older games. Honestly, movie games have become obsolete now. Those quick and dirty movie tie-ins are nothing in comparison to the lego games. I understand that people might get bored of the same "core gameplay" each year, but I've played all of them... and I still enjoy them. I guess the different movie IP's each year helps.
The future, then? We know The Hobbit videogame is coming in 2014 and I'm sure it'll be as fun as the LOTR game. Honestly, I can't wait to see what else they'll do with lego in the next-generation. Marvel Heroes looks amazing on PS4. I think I would compare this series to Call of Duty in a way, it's something I enjoy playing each year. Somewhat of a guilty pleasure, but I'm not ashamed to say I still like this series very much, even as an adult.
