Leslie Massey
Payday 2 is a first-person shooter game where players assume the role of a bank robber. The game involves shooting cops, drug use, money laundering, and profanity. The game has received different ratings in different countries. In the US, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rated the game 'M', while in Australia, the game has been rated as 'Adults Only' (AO). The third instalment of the game, Payday 3, has been rated MA15+ in Australia, with strong impact themes and violence cited as the main reasons for the rating.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Game Name | Payday 2 |
| Game Type | First-person shooter |
| Player Role | Bank robber for hire |
| Game Objective | Take on various heists/jobs |
| Weapons Used | Pistols, machine guns, and sniper rifles |
| Targets | Police, SWAT team members, random civilians |
| Violence | Realistic gunfire, cries of pain, large blood-splatter effects |
| Visual Content | Suggestive poses and revealing outfits |
| Drug-Related Content | Cooking methamphetamine, guarding and transporting cocaine |
| Rating in Australia | MA15+ |
| Reasons for Rating | Strong impact themes, violence, moderate impact language, mild impact drug use and sex |
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What You'll Learn
Payday 2: Ultimate Edition rated Adults Only by ESRB
The video game Payday 2: Ultimate Edition has been rated Adults Only (AO) by the ESRB, which stands for the Entertainment Software Rating Board. The ESRB is an organisation that assigns age and content ratings for video games and other entertainment software in the United States and Canada.
The ESRB's rating of Payday 2: Ultimate Edition as Adults Only has sparked some discussion and confusion among players, as the base game, Payday 2, has a lower maturity rating. Some players have speculated that the higher rating for the Ultimate Edition may be due to the inclusion of downloadable content (DLC) or the expansion packs that come with the Ultimate Edition.
The Ultimate Edition includes missions where players cook meth, make counterfeit money, and kill law enforcement officers. It also features swearing, killing, and a character covered in drugs and blood. While there is no sexual content or nudity in the game, some players have speculated that certain elements may have been perceived as pornographic by the ESRB, leading to the Adults Only rating.
It is important to note that the ESRB's ratings are not uniform across all countries. The same game may receive different ratings in different regions due to variations in cultural norms and sensitivities. For example, one player mentioned that Payday 2: Ultimate Edition is rated M for Mature in the United States, indicating that it is suitable for ages 17 and up, while it received an Adults Only rating in their country.
The ESRB's rating system categorises games with sexually explicit or pornographic content as Adults Only. However, it is worth mentioning that the line between an M rating and an AO rating is not always clear-cut, and the ESRB's criteria are not publicly available in detail. Some players have expressed surprise at the Adults Only rating for Payday 2: Ultimate Edition, suggesting that they have encountered more mature content in other games with a lower M rating.
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MA15+ rating for Payday 3 in Australia
The upcoming video game Payday 3 has been rated MA15+ in Australia. The game, which has no release date yet, involves players robbing banks at gunpoint with friends. The Classification Board's decision was based on the game's strong themes and violence, moderate language, and mild drug use and sex.
The MA15+ rating means that the game is not suitable for children under 15 years of age. In Australia, the Classification Board is responsible for classifying films, video games, and certain publications to inform consumers about the content and provide guidance to parents and caregivers. The board considers factors such as the impact of the content, context, and the likely audience when assigning a classification rating.
Payday 3 is a first-person shooter game where players assume the role of bank robbers for hire, taking on various heists and jobs. Players use weapons such as pistols, machine guns, and sniper rifles to shoot and kill human characters, including police officers and SWAT team members. The violence in the game is highlighted by realistic gunfire, cries of pain, and large blood-splatter effects. Some missions also involve interaction with drugs, such as cooking and defending batches of methamphetamine or guarding and transporting bags of cocaine.
The MA15+ rating for Payday 3 in Australia is consistent with the ratings of its predecessor, Payday 2, which also received an MA15+ rating in Australia. The Ultimate Edition of Payday 2, however, was rated Adults Only by the ESRB due to its explicit content involving drugs, money, shooting cops, and profanity. It's important to note that rating criteria can vary from country to country, and the ESRB rating system is not directly equivalent to the Australian classification system.
With the MA15+ rating, Payday 3 will now join the list of video games in Australia that cater to a more mature audience. The rating provides guidance to consumers, ensuring that they are aware of the game's content before purchase or play. As the release date for Payday 3 approaches, the rating will help parents and caregivers make informed decisions about the suitability of the game for younger players.
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Violent content in Payday 2
Payday 2 is a first-person shooter game that involves a lot of violent content. The game is centred around a group of bank robbers who plan and execute heists and other criminal tasks. Players can rob banks, shoot and kill rival gangs and police officers, and kill hostages. The game features a wide range of weapons, including pistols, machine guns, and shotguns. There is also a special enemy character called the Cloaker, who attacks players from unexpected angles and beats them down.
The game has been criticised for its violent content, including realistic gunfire, cries of pain, and large blood-splatter effects. Players also have the ability to shoot random civilians, although there is a penalty for doing so. Some players have also noted that the game includes depictions of women in suggestive poses and/or revealing outfits.
In addition to the onscreen violence, there are also reports of offscreen violent content, including a dog being beaten to death and a child being shot dead. The game has received an “Adults Only” rating from the ESRB in some countries, due to its violent content, drug use, and profanity. However, the rating criteria can vary from country to country, and the base game may not have been re-rated when new content was added.
The game has been described as having "plenty of violence, blood and gore" and is considered inappropriate for children by some parents and reviewers. It is worth noting that the game is not solely focused on violence, as it also involves planning and strategy elements. However, the violent content is a significant aspect of the gameplay and has been a source of concern for many.
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Drug use in Payday 2
Payday 2 is a video game that follows the events of Payday: The Heist and involves a variety of heists that the player can choose to carry out. These include bank robberies, drug trafficking, rigging elections, and stealing smuggled nuclear warheads.
Drug use is a prominent feature in Payday 2. The game includes references to drugs such as methamphetamine (meth) and cocaine, which are often central to the heists. For example, players may be tasked with cooking meth in a drug lab or throwing bags of cocaine over distances. The game also features a character who is covered in drugs and blood but does not consume them.
The inclusion of drug use in Payday 2 has been a topic of discussion among players, particularly regarding the game's rating. In Australia, the game received an R18+ rating from the Australian Classification Board, which cited "high impact crime themes, drug references, and violence" as reasons for the restriction. The cooking of methamphetamine, in particular, has been noted as a graphic depiction of illicit drug creation. However, it is important to note that the consumption of drugs by the player's character is not allowed in Payday 2, distinguishing it from other games that have been refused classification in Australia, such as State of Decay.
The game's depiction of drug use and other mature content has resulted in varying ratings across different regions. For example, the Ultimate Edition of Payday 2 received an "Adults Only" rating from the ESRB, which is typically given to games with sexually explicit or pornographic content. However, players have debated the reasoning behind this rating, as the game does not contain sexual content. Instead, it features drug use, money laundering, shooting cops, and profanity, which some players argue should fall under a lower maturity rating.
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Sexual content in Payday 2
The ESRB-rated Adults Only Payday 2 video game features drugs, money, shooting cops, profanity, murder, robbery, counterfeiting, and cooking your own drugs for bonus cash. However, there is no sexual content in the game.
Some players have speculated that the game received an Adults Only rating because of certain things that might be seen as pornographic, even if they aren't. For example, the ESRB considers nipples in artwork pornographic, so something vaguely adult in a character's clothing might have triggered the rating.
The game differs from its predecessor by allowing much more customization of the player (aesthetically and gameplay-wise), a somewhat improved graphical interface and experience, more variety and playability in levels, and has reworked stealth mechanics. The player can participate in a variety of heists, including but not limited to robberies of banks, shops, and armored cars, and producing and distributing narcotics.
The game has received positive reviews and has been profitable since its pre-orders alone. Since its release, over thirty downloadable content (DLC) packages have been released, including new heists, weapons, and game mechanics.
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Frequently asked questions
Payday 2: Ultimate Edition is rated Adults Only (AO) in Australia. The game involves drugs, money, shooting cops, and profanity. Some players have questioned why the game is rated AO in Australia when it is rated M in the US.
The ESRB has rated Payday 2 as M, which stands for Mature. This rating is for players aged 17 and above.
AO-rated games are considered "Adults Only" and are much more restrictive than M-rated games. The ESRB states that the difference between M and AO is sexually explicit or pornographic content.
