It was brought in to make 3ds max modelers feel more comfortable with maya. This is the default mode of primitive creation in 3ds max.

It is also the default way primitives are created in Modo and when you have work plane control as you get in both those programs it has advantages. But in Maya with its total lack of work plane control it's just an annoyance and productivity killer. (lol). So most veteran Maya modelers just laugh at it and turn it off and wish they put effort in adding useful features like better axis control, useful work planes, background constraints, fall offs, soft modification that is actually useful, and better artisan tools.