He said 500 balls played not 500 games.
The pro at the silver ballroom is looking pretty bad on that decal.
The beer can on FG/mirror on shrek hold up much better than the well walker bash decal, but maybe partially because they are further from the flipper and more rounded (less impact velocity?).

Does it stick out much with the decal removed? Maybe a decal made up of a different material would work better or no decal unless it makes it stand out poorly.

By hold up better, I meant that the decals I have encountered (and the FG and Shrek that I own/Ed) have not peeled or cracked. We are talking about bash toys that are not going to last over the long haul. I would not say the long haul is anywhere near 500 balls played. Just saying that it is a low quality decal. I agree that Shrek/FG and Metallica box all take a beating and look pretty bad, but they are still taking a pounding and not shedding - your experiences may differ greatly.