If a card has been countered, is it considered to have been played?

In the context of gameplay mechanics, when a card has been countered, it is not considered to have been played. The act of countering a card specifically implies that the card did not successfully enter the designated game state or have any effect. This means that the resources expended to play the card, such as mana and any specific game actions associated with playing it, do not result in the card being in play or having any lasting impact on the game.

The countering mechanism serves to nullify the intended effects of a card, reinforcing that countered cards are effectively removed from the resolution process and do not contribute to the current or future game states. Therefore, once a card is countered, it does not fulfill the criteria of having been "played" successfully in terms of game rules and mechanics.