I got a SNES about 3 years ago by called Nintendo. They sent me one in a box, but I would assume that it a refurb.
My Persona 2 copy was not a old unsold copy. Atlus sent out an email saying that they had a limited reprint of the game only for Amazon. The game went for well over $100 brand new from ebay sellers. Reprints do happen and older games do get reprinted.
As far as DQ9 goes, you can't assume all 800+ didn't play the game. Looking at recent reviews, they're still mixed.
They're still mixed.







