Let's look at what PPV matches that the Attitude Era in the game can recreate from the beginning.

Wikipedia and it's chronological history of WWE events and matches is helping me with this.

So let's see...

Let's start at Survivor Series 1997. What is cited as the "earliest beginnings of the Attitude era"

November 9, 1997 Survivor Series - Possible matches with WWE '13 roster: (w) denotes "Winner"

* Kane (w) vs Mankind
* The Road Warriors and Ken Shamrock (w) (removing Amhed Johnson) vs The Rock, Farrooq and Godfather (aka Kama Mustafa) (removing Dlo Brown)
* Shawn Micheals (w?) vs Bret Hart (a.k.a The Montreal Screwjob) (WWF Title)

December, 1997 - D-Generation X: In Your House

* New Age Outlaws (w) vs L.O.D (Tag Team Title)
* Stone Cold Steve Austin (w) vs The Rock (IC Title)
* Ken Shamrock (w) vs Shawn Michaels (WWF Title)

January, 1998 - Royal Rumble

* The Rock (w) vs Ken Shamrock (via DQ) (IC Title)
* LOD (w) vs New Age Outlaws (via DQ) (Tag Titles)
* Stone Cold Steve Austin wins the Royal Rumble by defeating The Rock
* Shawn Michaels (w) vs The Undertaker (Casket Match) (WWF Title)

February, 1998 - No Way Out Of Texas

* Kane (w) vs Vader

March, 1998 - Wrestlemania XIV

* The Rock (w) vs Ken Shamrock (via DQ) (IC Title)
* Undertaker (w) vs Kane
* Steve Austin (w) vs Shawn Micheals (w/ Triple H, removing Chyna from match) (WWF Title) (Mike Tyson enforcer, but he's pre-order DLC so not sure how would work)

April, 1998 - Unforgiven: In Your House

* Farrooq and Ken Shamrock (w) (remove Steve Blackman) vs The Rock and Mark Henry (remove Dlo Brown)
* New Age Outlaws (w) vs LOD (Tag Titles)
* Undertaker (w) vs Kane (Inferno Match)
* Dude Love (w) vs Steve Austin (Via DQ) (WWF Title)

May, 1998 - Over The Edge: In Your House (no, not that one, the controversial one was next year)

* The Rock (w) vs Farrooq (IC Title)
* Kane (w) vs Vader (Mask vs Mask)
* Steve Austin (w) vs Dude Love (No DQ, for WWF Title, Undertaker enforcer, Vince McMahon present)


............more to come...... (i.e: I'll finish more of this later)

June, 1998 - King Of The Ring

* Ken Shamrock (w) vs The Rock (King Of The Ring Final Match after bracket)
* The Undertaker (w) vs Mankind (Hell In A Cell)
* Kane (w) vs Steve Austin (First Blood for WWF Title)

July, 1998 - Fully Loaded: In Your House

* Mark Henry (w) vs Vader
* Rock vs Triple H (Two Out of Three Falls for IC Title) (Goes to time limit draw)
* Undertaker and Steve Austin (c) vs Mankind and Kane (For Tag Team Title)

August, 1998 - SummerSlam

* New Age Outlaws (w) vs Mankind (Handicap For Tag Team Titles)
* Triple H (w) vs The Rock (Ladder Match for IC Title)
* Steve Austin (w) vs Undertaker (For WWF Title)

September, 1998 - Breakdown: In Your House

* Bradshaw (w) vs Vader (Falls Count Anywhere)
* The Rock (w) vs Ken Shamrock vs Mankind (Steel Cage #1 Contender Match)
* Undertaker and Kane (together won for Vince) vs Steve Austin (Triple Threat for WWF Title)

October, 1998 - Judgement Day: In Your House

* Ken Shamrock (w) vs Mankind (IC Title)
* Mark Henry vs The Rock
* Kane vs Undertaker (No Contest, Steve Austin Special Guest Referee, For WWF Title)

November, 1998 - Survivor Series

* Steve Austin (w) vs Big Boss Man (Deadly Games Tournament First Round, but via DQ)
* The Rock (w) vs Big Boss Man (Deadly games Tournament First Round, Three second match)
* Undertaker (w) vs Kane (Deadly Games quarter-final)
* The Rock (w) vs Ken Shamrock (Deadly Games quarter final)
* Mankind (w) vs Steve Austin (Deadly Games semi-final)
* The Rock (w) vs Undertaker (Deadly games semi-final by DQ)
* The Rock (w) vs Mankind (Deadly Games Final Match for vacated WWF Title)

December, 1998 - Capital Carnage

* The Rock (w) vs X-Pac (by DQ) (WWF Title)
* Steve Austin (w) vs Mankind vs Kane vs Undertaker (Fatal 4-Way)

December (also), 1998 - Rock Bottom: In Your House

* New Age Outlaws (w) vs The Corporation (Big Boss Man and Ken Shamrock) (Tag Team Title)
* Mankind (w) vs The Rock (WWF Title)
* Steve Austin (w) vs Undertaker (Buried Alive match, to compete in Rumble)

January, 1999 - Royal Rumble

* Big Boss Man (w) vs Road Dogg
* Ken Shamrock (w) vs Billy Gunn (IC Title)
* The Rock (w) vs Mankind (I Quit Match, one of my favorites)
* Royal Rumble Match won by Vince McMahon screwing Steve Austin

February, 1999 - St Valentines Day Massacre

* Mankind vs The Rock (went to Draw, Last Man Standing for WWF Titile)
* Steve Austin (w) vs Vince McMahon (Steel Cage)

March, 1999 - Wrestlemania XV (15)

* Mankind (w) vs The Big Show Paul Wight (by DQ for right to be guest ref for main)
* Kane (w) vs Triple H (by DQ)
* Shame McMahon (w) vs X-Pac (Remove Test from match) (For European Title)
* Undertaker (w) vs Big Boss Man (Hell In A Cell)
* Steve Austin (w) vs The Rock (No DQ for WWF Title)


.....more later......

NOTE/EDIT: According to official news I just learned about exactly the time period that they will be re-enacting with Attitude Era Mode, ALL of the following matches and history from this point on will NOT be in the Story Mode at all.

You'll have to make all these matches yourself.
------------------------------------------------------------

April, 1999 - Backlash: In Your House

* Ministry (Farrooq and Bradshaw, removing Mideon) (w) vs Brood (Edge and Christian, removing Gangrel) (Six man Tag changed to Tag Team Match)
* Mankind (w) vs Big Show Paul Wight (Boiler Room Brawl)
* Triple H (w) vs X-Pac
* Undertaker (w) vs Ken Shamrock
* Steve Austin (w) vs The Rock (WWF Title)

May, 1999 - No Mercy

* Ministry (w) vs Brood (removing Viscera and Gangrel) (Change six-man to tag team)
* Shane McMahon (w) vs X-Pac (European Title)
* Billy Gunn (w) vs Mankind
* Steve Austin (w) vs Undertaker vs Triple H (WWF Title Triangle Match)

May, 1999 (also) - Over The Edge (I am not sure if they will even put these matches in the game. there's a big possibility that they will not)

* Billy Gunn (w) vs Road Dogg
* Union (Mankind, Big Show, and Ken Shamrock, removing Test) vs Corporate Ministry (Big Boss Man, Farrooq, and Bradshaw, removing Viscera)
* The Rock (w) vs Triple H (via DQ)
* Undertaker (w) vs Steve Austin (for WWE Title, Vince McMahon and Shane McMahon special Refs)

June, 1999 - King Of The Ring

* Kane (w) vs Big Show (KOTR quarter finals)
* Billy Gunn (w) vs Ken Shamrock (KOTR Quarter Finals)
* Billy Gunn (w) vs Kane (KOTR Semi-Finals)
* X-Pac (w) vs Road Dogg (KOTR Semi-Finals)
* Undertaker (w) vs The Rock (WWF Title)
* Billy Gunn (w) vs X-Pac (KOTR Final)
* Vince McMahon and Shane McMahon (w) vs Steve Austin (For WWF Control)

July, 1999 - Fully Loaded

* Triple H (w) vs The Rock (Strap match for #1 Contender) (possibly remove strap)
* Steve Austin (w) vs Undertaker (First Blood Match for WWF Title)

August, 1999 - Summerslam

* Undertaker and Big Show (Alliance) (w) vs X-Pac and Kane (WWF Tag Title)
* Rock (w) vs Billy Gunn (Kiss My Ass Match)
* Mankind (w) vs Steve Austin and Triple H (Triple Threat for WWF Title)

September, 1999 - Unforgiven

* New Age Outlaws (w) vs Edge and Christian (Tag Team Titles)
* X-Pac (w) vs Chris Jericho (by DQ)
* Triple H (w) vs Mankind vs The Rock vs Kane vs Big Show vs British Bulldog (Six-Pack Challenge for WWF Title, Steve Austin as enforcer)

October, 1999 - Rebellion

* Chris Jericho (w) vs Road Dogg
* Kane (w) vs Big Show (No DQ)
* British Bulldog (w) vs X-Pac
* Triple H (w) vs The Rock (Steel Cage for WWF Title, Bulldog interferes)

October, 1999 (also) - No Mercy

* The Rock (w) vs British Bulldog
* X-Pac (w) vs Bradshaw vs Kane vs Farrooq
* Triple H (w) vs Steve Austin (Anything Goes for WWF Title)

November, 1999 - Survivor Series

* Kane (w) vs X-Pac (by DQ)
* Big Show (w) vs Triple H vs The Rock (Triple Threat for WWF Title)

December, 1999 - Armageddon

* Kane (w) vs X-Pac (Steel Cage)
* Rock n' Sock Connection (w) vs New Age Outlaws (By DQ)
* Big Show (w) vs Big Boss Man
* Triple H (w) vs Vince McMahon (No Holds Barred)

January, 2000 - Royal Rumble

* New Age Outlaws (w) vs Farrooq and Bradshaw (Tag Team Title)
* Triple H (w) vs Cactus Jack (Street fight for WWF Title)
* Royal Rumble Match, The Rock (w) eliminates Big Show

February, 2000 - No Way Out

* X-Pac (w) vs Kane (No Holds Barred) (although i'm not sure you can have this match without Tori in it)
* Big Show (w) vs The Rock (#1 Contender)
* Triple H (w) vs Cactus Jack (Hell In A Cell)

April, 2000 - Wrestlemania 2000

*

........surprisingly........ none. You can't put on any of the matches in WM 2000 without having Dlo Brown, Bull Buchanan, The Dudley Boyz, (or the Hardyz), Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle, Rikishi or Linda McMahon.

They feature prominently in every single match on the card, so bizarrely, you cannot have Wrestlemania 2000 in this game, with this roster, at all.

Weird.

Well, you COULD try to have the main event which supposedly has "a McMahon in every corner", and leave out ONE corner, but then the match becomes a lie. You could leave out ALL the McMahons, but then, where's the gimmick of the match?

And with that.... I think the era pretty much rides off into being able to cover it with this roster, as well. So I think it would have to at least end before heading into Wrestlemania 2000.

Superb list Mike, well researched.

Interesting note about Wrestlemania 2000.

You can see some of the obvious ones amongst that list that will definitely get used in Attitude era mode in the game, but with such a lot of matches promised, there will some less obvious ones in there as well. There will almost certainly be matches from RAW and Smackdown on the list as well (such as Foley winning the belt).

Something that does occur to me though. Your list starts at the tale end of 1997, but the advert for attitude era seems to go back to 1995 (personally, I'd have said 1996 was perhaps the genesis of the very start of the Attitude era, but whatever). So I'd be interested to see how many more matches are added if you go back as far as Mania 11.

One thing I learned is that Ken Shamrock is a HELL of a lot more prominent in high-caliber matches from the time that I remembered him being, for some reason.

I noticed while compiling this that Shamrock keeps appearing again and again and again and again and again.

I can see why he's in this game, now.

Of course going by this list, D'lo Brown, Viscera, Too Cool, Hardcore Holly and Gangrel are also very notably missing from a lot of these Pay Per View matches as well. Even if they are supporting characters, so to speak, they appear a LOT, and I often had to cut them out from this list.

Same with Jeff Jarret, Owen Hart, Al Snow and Val Venis, but those, honestly as we know are the ones that stand no chance in hell of being in the game. (pun intended)

the Hardyz, while VERY prominent on Raw and Heat, aren't nearly as prominent on PPV's as I thought, and the Dudleyz, Tazz, Kurt Angle, and a few others that I originally thought would hurt the mode by not being included, now that I look, only became important near the very tail end of the era.

However, when Kurt Angle rose up to be a main eventer, the future playability in the game becomes almost zero. Angle almost takes over the WWF at this point, around WM 2000. Him and Benoit become so huge that the story mode almost HAS to stop dead in it's tracks around May of 2000.