Is this abandonware now?

Hi, I recently got back into sprite creation and thought I'd boot up this program. I was very surprised to find out there were no new updates, and I haven't used this program in probably 6 months or more. Is this project completely abandoned? It'd be nice if the creator could let us know if he plans future releases or now. And, if he doesn't, maybe he can create an "Open Source Buyout" price, like, if the community raises $500 then he'll release it as Open Source?