Microsoft heads for second big EU showdown — this time over gaming

“Its [Microsoft] past bruising antitrust experiences mean that it’s now more constructive than other big tech firms when dealing with regulators,” said Zach Meyers, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform.

...“Microsoft might be tempted to move to an advertising-based model in future, which might involve far more invasive use of personal data,” said Meyers at the Centre for European Reform. 

“That could happen either to grow its customer base beyond paying gamers, or to extract revenue from gamers, who are lucrative advertising targets because they are far more likely than the average consumer to spend money online,” Meyers added, noting also that, while the deal could very well pass antitrust scrutiny, it may pave the way for problems down the road.