It is really a personal preference thing. I currently have a slim case on my Fascinate. Being that it is so thin to begin with, the extra thickness of the case isn't an issue. With the Play having a sliding mechanism and already being thick, I don't think a case will be a good solution (I tried a few cases on my slider Droid 2 and they all had one issue or another - and added to the bulk significantly. So for my Play I would rather have something like you describe - really just a protective sticker layer to prevent the occasional scratch. Check Amazon and UniqueSkins.com and SkinIt.com - they have different designs that are not just clear.

I also run my Fascinate without a screen protector. In over 9 months, I've been careful enough not to scratch it, and part of that is the supremely tough glass they use. I don't know if the Play has the same hard screen or not, so I'll likely get one - better safe than sorry.

 

I've never bothered with any protection on my phones, but, like you, i have an issue that I am rather anal with.

I detest having anything in my pockets!

I can just about manage to have a phone in there so there's never any chance of the screen getting scratched by loose change or keys etc.

I have clumsily dropped my Play, once, from about 3 feet onto concrete floor & no damage done, back & battery even stayed on which surprised me!

 

I just ordered a cool skull case

 

This isn't gorilla glass right? Does it work comparably as well?

 

According to this thread, it isn't Gorilla Glass but comparable:

[Q] Gorilla Glass? - xda-developers

 

I'm going for looks. I don't mind the extra size.

Blue w Skull Hard Case Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY R800 | eBay