Modo is popular because it’s a great modeling tool and cheaper than what most professional studios use, Maya, less than half the price in fact. It’s usually more of a budgeting choice. Maya tends to be better when it comes to the animation tools, and the dynamics in it aren’t that terrible but they do require a bit more effort than other software.
Often though, you’ll see 3d modelers, riggers, and animators using Maya, texture artists using substance designer or Mari, and dynamics artists using Houdini.