I think one of the main reasons you see more 3DS Max work instead of Maya work is because Maya costs a lot more. Individuals who want a 3D program usually don't want to spend big bucks, so the main consumers for Alias are companies like Squaresoft, LucasArts, and Rare Ltd. Most big companies do use Maya. This is because they can afford it.

Maya is, in my opinion, better than any other software because of its flexibility and workflow style.