> Sure would like to read what was the reason(s) for shutting down the sales of
> Hollywood & Designer in the first place.

Quote taken from an (automated) email response received when Hollywood started being available again (Google translation):

"I had the official site temporarily taken offline because too many orders from spambots came."
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&u=http://www.a1k.org/forum/showpost.php?p=794847

This doesn't quite fit the "due to personal reasons" rationale and neither this long 1.5-year non-availability period, though.