Hope were motorcycle trials riders that happened to be engineers and produced products for their trials bikes that they wanted to use.
They moved on to mountainbiking as a hobby, and produced products for their own mountainbikes.
People saw these products and wanted to buy them. So they quit their day jobs and produced them.
Hope still produce products that mountainbikers want to buy and use.
The other major manufacturers produce products and market them at mountainbikers. Therein the difference lies.
Hope originally produced products to supply for demand. They've grown a bit now, but if people wanted to buy your snot you'd sell it to them I'd wager.
Other manufacturers market desgins to try to create demand for their products.
I'm a fan of Hope and Shimano brakes. Both work well and are easy to service.
Hayes have been producing brakes since 1929, and they still can't make a brake I'd like to use regularly.
The best brake is the one YOU trust to stop you. It doesn't matter what brand or constuction they are, it's down to personal preference. Nobody can win an argument on this subject as we all have different needs.
Just agree to disagree and get on with riding FFS.
Hope brakes are worth the money if you like them. So is any other brake.